The Renovation
by Ikweetnietgoedwaarom
Summary: After Beca collapses on national television she decides to take it easy. As relaxation, she decides to buy and renovate an old building. Then the real estate agent turns out to be none other than her ex girlfriend, whom she had abandoned in a not so gentle manner 10 years ago. What happens when the two old lovers return to each other's path?
1. Chapter 1

Outside producing music, renovating old houses was her second big love. So when she found the colonial building that needed to be refurbished, she knew she had to buy it.

Since she collapsed two weeks ago because she worked way too hard, she had forced herself to distance herself from her recording studio and took a much-needed vacation.

Most people who needed rest went on a vacation to get that rest. Beca Mitchell wasn't like most people. To get the rest she needed, she had to keep herself busy with other things in order to stop thinking.

After she collapsed on national television during an interview two weeks ago, Beca did what she always did. She had stepped into her car and was driving until she had calmed down.

After driving around aimlessly for a week, her eyes had fallen on the house. Or to be honest on the for sale sign that stood in front of the house. The photograph of the real estate agent who was on the for sale sign had immediately caught her attention.

A look of recognition went through her as she looked at the image of a young red-haired woman in her late twenties, early thirties with the bluest eyes that Beca had ever seen.

She knew the woman. In a distant past they had known each other very well. When she read the real estate agency's name, she knew it was no coincidence.

The real estate agent of Beale Real Estate was no one other than Chloe Beale, her former housemate and ex mistress.

During her studies, Beca had shared a house and a room with Chloe for three years. From the beginning they had formed a special bond despite Beca's introvert and anti social behavior.

Very soon the border between friendship and love between them was crossed. The innocent cuddling soon turned into kissing each other. They only had known each other for a month when they decided to sleep together in Chloe's bed. After Beca had crept into Chloe's bed at night a few times after having a nightmare, they decided that it would be more convenient to sleep together from now on. The step to sex was a natural result after sleeping together.

They were almost always together and shared everything. Beca had never felt more special as when she had been together with Chloe. Their relationship had been intense and passionate. But Beca hadn't been ready for a relationship at the time and had fled immediately after receiving her diploma.

She'd never had a new relationship ever since she broke up with Chloe. She had had several women and men in her bed, but no one had ever given her the feeling, Chloe had ever given her.

And now almost ten years later their paths crossed again.

Beca looked at the number on the for sale sign and fished her phone out of her pocket. She dialed the number and pressed the call button. After her phone ringed three times, it was answered.

"Good afternoon, Beale Real Estate , Chloe speaking . How can I help you? "A well-known voice asked her.

"Hey Chlo, it's Beca" was the only thing she could say.

The silence on the other side of the line seemed to last forever.

"Becs, is that you?" The voice asked hesitantly.

"Yes dude, it's really me," Beca assured her.

After another eternity of silence the connection was broken. Apparently Chloe hadn't forgotten her yet.

Sighing, Beca put her phone back in her pocket. Not knowing what to do now, she walked back to her car. She absolutely wanted to buy this house. And now that she had found her old and only true love, she wanted to do everything possible to make up for being a jerk.

If Chloe didn't want to speak to her by phone, she would visit her at her office.

Beca grabbed her phone again to look up the address of Beale Real Estate. After she had found the address and had entered it into her navigation system, she drove off. After a thirty minute drive, she arrived at Chloe's office.

After she parked her car, she got out. She smoothed her clothes slightly nervously. She took a deep breath as she walked to the building.

"Here we go" she said to herself as she put her trembling hand on the door handle of Beale Real Estate.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as she entered Chloe's office, she knew she made a mistake. As usual she rather act on her thoughts instead of thinking things through.

Of course, the redhead had noticed her as soon as she walked in. The once loving expression in the redheads eyes had disappeared and had changed into a look of pure hate.

"Get out! I don't ever want to see or talk to you again!" the redhead said before she even opened her mouth.

"Whoah, calm down Chlo" Beca said softly.

"It's Miss Beale for you" her ex lover said coldly.

Before Beca could say another thing, an angry looking blonde woman walked in.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"Yes, she is the problem. I want her out of my office" Chloe responded.

The blonde woman walked over to Beca as if she owned the place.

"You heard the boss. I think it's better that you leave immediately" the blonde said.

Beca knew now wasn't the time to cause a scene. Besides the blonde woman looked like she was about to kill her. Defeated she turned around and opened the door.

"I'll be back, Chlo" she said before she left the real estate agents office.

For the first time in her life, Aubrey Posen didn't know what to say. In the six years she now worked with Chloe, she never had seen her boss act so coldly.

The redhead was usually very friendly and professional. This was the first time time that she had seen Chloe act so coldly and out of character.

"Is she who I think it is?" she asked her boss carefully.

"Yes, she is. That was Beca Mitchell. America's most famous producer. And the ex I don't want to talk about" Chloe said dryly.

Aubrey knew her boss good enough to know that this was a subject she needed to drop immediately.

She never had seen the redhead so upset and the sight broke her heart. An upset Chloe resembled a kicked puppy way to much for her liking.

Whoever this woman was, Aubrey made a mental note to herself to keep her away from her boss in the future. She didn't know Beca Mitchell besides what she heard about the artist in the media, but she had decided moments ago that she didn't like the woman.

"She was my first serious relationship" Chloe said suddenly after the two of them continued with their work.

"I'm sorry for whatever it was that she's done to you" Aubrey said.

"That's the point. She didn't do anything. She just disappeared the day we received our diploma. I never heard or seen her since that day. I still ask myself what I did wrong or what happened that she just left" Chloe said with a sad voice.

Aubrey's first instinct was to comfort her friend and that was exactly what she did. She walked over to her boss and friend and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Chloe that she fucked you up. I wish I could do something to make you feel better" the blonde said helplessly.

"You can't. I thought I was over her. But seeing her in person after almost ten years brought back a lot of memories and feelings" the redhead said with a sad smile.

When Chloe was calm again, the two of them finished their work for the day. And when they were ready to go home, Aubrey invited her for dinner. She declined the offer. All she needed was being alone and drinking to much wine to forget about everything that had happened today.


	3. Chapter 3

" _Where have you been?" Dr. Mitchell asked his clearly underaged drunk daughter._

" _Chill out daddy. I just had some fun. Do you even know what fun is?" she asked her father with furrowed brows._

" _Is that another tattoo?" he asked, pointing at the headphones on her left wrist._

" _Yeah, isn't it a piece of art?" she asked him._

 _As usual her father ignored her questions. He didn't know what to do with his daughter anymore. Since she lived with him and his second wife, his daughters behaviour was getting out of control. Tonight was the seventh night in a row that she came home drunk._

" _Beca Mitchell, I've had enough of your behaviour. I'm not going to pay for you to live in L.A. and become some drunk DJ. You will go to Barden University and earn a degree!" he finally yelled at her._

" _Hell no! I won't go"she had yelled back._

 _Three months later_

" _Welcome to Barden, which dorm?" a way to happy girl asked her._

" _Uh, Baker Hall, I think" she answered._

While she was driving back home the memory had come back. It had been the worst and the best time of her life.

At first she had struggled to fit in but then she had met Chloe and the rest of her friends for life. The same friends she now had abandoned and ignored for almost ten years.

A smile crept upon her face as she thought back at the horrible uniforms the Bellas had to wear that first year.

Now she wished she could turn back the hands of time. If she had known then what she knew now, she had done things differently. But she had been a coward and had ran away as soon as the opportunity was presented to her.

Her years at Barden had been the happiest time of her life she realised as she parked her car at the driveway of her house.

She needed to make up for all the faults she had made. She would give up everything to be with her girls again. She missed them all so much.

Now was the moment to make things right again. That was something she knew after seeing Chloe again after ten years.

A plan formed in het head as she walked through her house. Her big beautiful house. Her big beautiful empty house. A house that was big enough to host parties like only Fat Amy could throw. A house big enough to transform one room in a horror museum like Lilly always had wanted. A house with enough space to create an indoor dance studio for Jessica and Ashley and Flo. A house big enough for a personal laboratorium for Stacie or a casino for Cynthia Rose.

She actually had a personal recording studio in her house where Legacy could sing her heart out.

She would've loved it to her house being used and abused by her weird but unique friends. A house she would be happy to share with Chloe.

Instead she had a house that didn't get used. She hadn't any friends left to share her success with. A big empty house with empty walls because she didn't made any fun the past years. She had been busy with work and her fame. The only persons she really knew that had been in her house had been her father and Sheila. And Tyler her personal assistant had been here a few times.

She needed to change her life. And that house on Hope Lane was exactly what she needed. The name of the street matched her feelings. Seeing Chloe gave her hope that things weren't to late. It gave her hope that it wasn't too late to change things.

She knew Chloe wouldn't sell her the house. So she called Tyler and asked him to buy it for her. Of course anonymously. That way Chloe wouldn't know that she was the owner. At least for now. Eventually she would tell her.

A few weeks later she was the proud owner of the house on Hope Street. With a happy feeling she walked around the house to take a good look at it. Fixing it would take a lot of time and it would be pricy to make it exactly like she had in mind, but she didn't care. The result would be so worth it. And the work would give her the distraction she needed. In her eyes it was a win win situation.

All she needed was a few things. She called her dad and hoped he kept the things she needed.

"Do you still have my old photo albums?" she asked as soon as he picked up.


	4. Chapter 4

"Thank you all so much for showing up tonight" Chloe said as she walked to het spot at the table.

Two days after Beca's surprise visit, she had send out a group message to her beloved Bellas. She had asked them to drop everything and meet her at their favourite restaurant. Aubrey the unofficial Bella was invited too. Even though it was a short notice they were all there.

"Beca showed up at my office two days ago" she immediately said after sitting down.

"How's Shorty doing?" Fat Amy asked after a moment of silence.

It was a question every Bella had wanted to ask after Chloe's unexpected statement. They all had seen their once beloved DJ break down during a live interview on national television.

"I don't know. When she first called me, I hung up on her. And when she visited me I kicked her out" Chloe replied.

"You mean you let Aubrey kick her out" Stacie said dryly.

"Yeah, sort of" Chloe said.

"Why? I mean it's almost ten years" Stacie asked even though she knew the answer.

"Honestly? I don't know. I thought I was completely over her. But then I heard her voice again. And seeing her again in person brought back so many memories and feelings" the redhead said.

"Honey you never got over her. Since she left, you never dated again. You still love her" Stacie said softly.

"I never stopped loving her. But that doesn't mean that I'm not angry with her" Chloe said.

"What do you want us to do, if she contacts one of us?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"That's up to you" Chloe said.

"In our country we threw a big party when someone comes back after they've been missing" Flo said.

"Well, I want to know why Shorty broke down" Fat Amy said.

"I don't want to see Beca ever again" Emily said quietly.

Besides Chloe, the youngest member of the Bellas had took Beca's disappearing the hardest. She had always looked up to the DJ and Chloe knew that.

Beca's disappearance had a great impact on the young Bella. She had been a mess for months. The rest of the Bellas had done everything to pull Emily out of her depression. So Chloe wasn't at all surprised at Legacy's reaction.

"If you don't want to see or talk to her, you don't have to Sweetie" she said lovingly to the youngest Bella.

 _Beca was happier than she had been since she broke down and collapsed on national television. A certain redhead may had something to do with it._

 _After she left her fathers house with her photo albums, she went back to her house. She owned a house not a home but if her plan would work out like she wanted it, she would have a home again. A home filled with laughter and love and music._

 _This wasn't her first renovation project and she knew she couldn't do all the work alone. So after Tyler handed her the ownership papers, she immediately hired a team of construction workers to strip the house on inside._

 _Twice a day she would come by to watch the progress. When they were done, she would take over. She knew what she wanted and how to do it._

 _She had spent the past week scanning all the pictures she needed. And she had been searching the Internet for companies who were specialised in making customised designs._

 _She was just working on the roof when a car pulled on the driveway. She saw a flash of red hair and knew she was in trouble. She wanted to hide but was too late. The redhead already caught her._

" _What the fuck are you doing on the roof!" the redhead shouted._

" _If you have a moment, I will come down and explain things!" Beca shouted back._

 _When she was on the ground again, the redhead waited impatiently for an explanation._

" _I am the owner of this house. Before you get angry again let me explain why I bought it" Beca started._

 _Chloe didn't want to hear it._

" _As usual you lied your way to get what you want. You haven't changed the slightest. I should've known that by now."_

 _With those words, Chloe turned around and left. Leaving Beca behind with a pang of hurt in her chest._


	5. Chapter 5

_Everybody has someone that fucks them up. For Chloe it was Beca and for Beca it was Chloe._

 _Beca never had the intention to finish her education at Barden. It was after meeting Chloe and the rest of the Bellas that she decided to stay. But mainly because of the deep connection she had with Chloe._

 _She shouldn't have left the way she did but she couldn't turn back time. She didn't left because she fell out of love with the redhead._

 _She never stopped loving her. She had left because she had overheard a phone conversation the redhead had._

 _After ten years she still didn't know to whom Chloe had been talking. It had never occurred to twenty something Beca to talk to her girlfriend. She just had assumed that her girlfriend was going to dump her. To save herself from the hurt of a break up she simply fled._

 _Thirty something Beca would handle things differently. She had learned to deal with emotions and talk about things that bothered her._

 _If she had done that back then, she wouldn't be so unhappy now. Nor she wouldn't have collapsed during that interview. The talkshow host had asked her questions about her college time. That had brought back so much memories. It triggered something inside her that made her realise what she had thrown away._

 _And now she wished that Chloe would talk to her. Give her the chance to explain why she did what she had done. But the redhead was still angry with her. She didn't want to know anything from her._

 _So Beca did what she did best. She buried herself with work. This time not in the music industry. She gave everything she had to this renovation project. Maybe it was all for nothing. Maybe she didn't get her friends or the redhead back with it, but at least it would give of a sign that she never forgot them._

 _And maybe just maybe they could start over. Maybe just maybe she would be given a new chance to prove that she still was their friend._

The dinner with her beloved Bellas had been good for Chloe. Seeing her friends and laughing and talking to them was exactly what she had needed after everything she had been through the past days. But she couldn't help to feel a little bit sad. She still missed the tiny brunette.

Beca should have been there with them. She should have been there to stop Amy from doing something stupid. Or join her while doing stupid. Depending on how much she had drank.

She should have been there with them and blushing when Stacie made an inappropriate comment. She should have been there to protect Legacy from hearing things she shouldn't hear. She should have been there saying that she didn't know who was Jessica and who was Ashley. Or stopping Lilly from setting things on fire. But she wasn't there.

She asked herself if she hadn't been to hard. Beca clearly wanted to explain things but she hadn't give her a chance.

Maybe it was time to give Beca a second chance. Chloe had always believed that everyone deserved a second chance. She wasn't someone who held a grudge very long, yet she still held a grudge against Beca.

Two days after the dinner she decided to go to Hope Lane and talk to Beca. She hoped that the brunette still wanted to talk to her and explain things. Maybe they both needed it to get some closure.

Chloe didn't have the illusion that things magically would be better if they talked. She didn't think that they immediately would pick up where they left. But maybe just maybe things would go a little bit better. And maybe they could start off as friends again.


	6. Chapter 6

Beca was singing at the top of her lungs. For the first time since she graduated from Barden, she could appreciate the Ace of Base song that was now playing on the radio.

Of course the song brought back a lot of memories. Memories of the endless Bella practices with the outdated set they had to memorise.

But today hearing that old song, did her good. For the first time since months she felt great. The progress of the renovation went exceptionally well. The construction workers she hired were real professionals and knew their shit. They only came to her when they had questions or suggestions they thought she needed to think about.

Besides talking to the construction workers, Beca only spoke with her dad and Tyler. It made her miss her friends only more. And it made her realise that it was time to talk about why she did what she did. Not only to Chloe but with the rest of the Bellas too. If they still wanted to talk to her that is.

What she had done was a dick move. She owned them an explanation. And she needed to make up to them for abandoning them for ten years.

She knew Chloe and Emily would be the hardest to convince to listen to her. But she hoped that at least Fat Amy would listen to what she had to say. She didn't know for sure about the other girls. She was certain that Stacie and Cynthia Rose would give her a hard time. Those two wouldn't let her get away with some bullshit story or half of the truth. If she wanted to make things right, she had to be completely honest and open with them. With all of them.

As usual fate had other plans.

Dressed in a pair of jeans, het favorite hoodie and her leather jacket, she stepped in her car and drove to the store. She needed to pick something up she had ordered for her new house.

She parked her car and got out. She put on her sunglasses to make it harder to be recognised by anyone.

She went straight to the store to pick up her order. After paying she left the store to go back to her car. She received a message and grabbed her phone to check out who needed her. She looked at her phone screen and didn't watch her steps. That's when she bumped into some lady. She quickly mumbled an apology but didn't look up from her phone.

"Shawshank?"

She couldn't help but to smile when she heard the nickname she had gotten more than a decade ago after her first arrest.

She looked up and saw Cynthia Rose smiling at her. She didn't know how to react and her first thought was run away.

"I haven't heard that nickname in ten years" was the first thing that she said.

"So Chloe told the truth. You're really back. How are you doing?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"It could be better" Beca said suddenly shy.

"I can imagine that. We've all seen you breaking down on TV. What brings you here?" the black woman asked curiously.

"I just needed a break from everything. So I started to drive around. Then I found this house and bought it. I just started to renovate it. It helps me to keep my thoughts focused" Beca answered truthfully.

"I bet it does. I can imagine that you have a lot to think about" Cynthia Rose said.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry for everything that happened. But I'm glad I bumped into you" Beca finally said.

"It's okay Shawshank. I'd really love to talk to you but I really have to go" the black woman said apologetically.

"I understand. I have to go too" the short brunette said.

"Don't be a stranger" Cynthia Rose said as they exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch.

"I won't" Beca replied.

The unexpected meeting with her old friend made her realise how much she had missed them. In her career true friends were hard to find.

Relieved that the unexpected meeting went relatively well, she walked back to her car. Bumping in to Cynthia Rose gave her hope. She hoped that meeting the rest of her old friends would go as well as today had been.


	7. Chapter 7

After a day of hard working at her renovation project, Beca was back in her own house.

Freshly showered she sat on the couch. With her phone in her hand she scrolled through her contact list. It was Friday night and she was bored out of her mind. It really hit her that she had only five reliable contacts. Contacts she couldn't exactly call for a night out.

Two of them were her dad and Sheila. Although they didn't talk much, Beca tried to call them at least every two months. She wasn't about to call them because she was bored and felt down.

She knew exactly what her father was going to say. The same thing he had repeated to her for the past ten years. That she needed to stop being so stubborn and apologise to her friends.

The third person in her contact list was Tyler her assistant. He took great care of her when he was working, but they didn't exactly associate with each other outside work. They had a strictly professional relationship.

The fourth number was Chloe's. It was the number she had seen on for sale sign. After their short phone conversation, she had saved the number immediately.

Tempted to call the redhead just so she coul hear her voice again, she scrolled further to the last name in her list.

She stared at the name on her screen. Cynthia Rose Adams. "Don't be a stranger" she had said to Beca when the had said their goodbyes.

That they had met two days ago had been purely coincidence. Beca couldn't stop thinking that it was fate that she bumped into her old friend.

Since her breakdown, she had asked the universe to give her a chance to make it up to her old friends. The only true friends she had ever had in her life. What if meeting Cynthia Rose again was the universe's answer?

With her phone still in her hands she thought back at the past ten years and was surprised that it had took her so long to see how immature and stupid she had been.

 _After she left Barden, she went to Los Angeles. She had dreams and she would make them true._

 _The first few years she worked multiple jobs to support herself. She continued to make mixes and sent them to every music label_

 _in the area._

 _She had struggled. Being alone in a new city wasn't easy. But she always kept faith that one day all the struggles she went through would be worth it._

 _She had been over the moon when she got her first real job at an studio. It wasn't her dream job but it was a start. After serving coffee and answering phone calls for boss for a year she got the chance to show her skills._

 _When her boss realised she was capable of more than servicing coffee, he offered her a function with more responsibility. She was now responsible for finding new artists for the label._

 _She really loved her job. She had permission to freely use her creativity and change songs for the better. Her changes to the songs were so good that every artist she worked with instantly turned into superstars after their songs were released._

 _In the meantime she kept writing songs. In her free time she would mix and record them. When she had enough songs to fill an album, she went to her boss. She had asked him to listen to it when he had time. She hadn't told him who the artist was._

 _That same night she received a phone call from him. He had listened to the cd and was mind blown. He told her that he wanted to be introduced to the artist. When she told him she was the artist he couldn't believe it._

 _After her cd was released, she became an instant hit. Every artist in the business wanted to work with her. She quit her job at the label and started her own._

 _That was the only cd she ever released. With her growing label she didn't have much time to write or make her own music._

 _Until a year ago._

 _After making a series of stupid mistakes, she took a few steps back. Instead of partying every night, she stayed home. Thinking of how empty her life had become, she thought back at happier times._

 _The four happiest years in her life was when she was a Bella. She had had so much funny moments with the girls. Not only performing with them, but mostly the time they had spent living together in the Bellas house. She thought how well all their personalities had blend together. It had seemed that every personality was present._

 _Thinking of the girls had inspired her to write again. They had always supported her. They always had lifted her spirit when she had lost faith in herself._

 _A month ago she released her second album. It was simply titled 'Bellas'. The first number on the album named Chloe was about a redhead that was to sweet for the world. Number four on the album was about innocence and was called Legacy._

 _First the media didn't picked up the new songs. Then an alert fan did some research and tweeted about it. The tweet was picked up by several magazines and went viral._

 _Suddenly she was in the spotlights again. Paparazzi followed her every move. Magazines called for interviews. It was during one of those interviews that she broke down._

 _The talkshow host asked her a question that completely caught her off guard. A question she had never expected. She had started to cry, got up and ran out of the TV studio in the middle of her live interview._

She looked again at her phone and unlocked it. She really needed to talk to someone before she went crazy. She decided to be brave and sent Cynthia Rose a message.

 _I really need to talk to someone. Can we meet somewhere and talk?_

She hit send and waited for a reply.


	8. Chapter 8

Cynthia Rose had mixed feelings after running unexpectedly into Beca. She didn't know if she felt happy or angry to see her old captain again.

Years ago she had felt disappointed and angry with the girl she had respected so much. She didn't understand why she had left suddenly without ever contact them.

But now that she had seen the tiny woman again, she felt mostly sorry for her. Her old captain had looked very tired. Not at all as how she had been in college.

Torn between loyalty towards her friends and curiosity towards her old captain, she had made an effort to start a small conversation. Deep in her heart Cynthia Rose was wanted to know what happened to her old friend.

None of them had expected to hear anything from her ever again. But then that album had come out. It was an a capella album, and every song on it was about one of them.

Surely, the tiny DJ had missed out a lot during the years but Cynthia Rose couldn't hold a grudge forever. Yeah, she had been mad at Beca sonme times, but she was sure that Beca had faced her own problems. At least Cynthia Rose had the support of her friends when she had needed them.

During the years, the Bellas had grown closer than they had been when they had lived together. Most college friends lost touch but they hadn't.

Together they had faced heartbreaks and milestones. They had performed together at Jessica and Ashley's wedding. They all took turns watching Stacie's daughter Bella. They had been the protective big sisters for Legacy when she started dating Benji.

She was a godmother to several Bella babies. In fact each Bella was a godmother to one or more Bella babies.

But not everything had been sunshine and moonlight. They had gone through their fair share of bad things.

They had been there when Emily was diagnosed with cancer. They had supported her trough chemotherapy. Cynthia Rose and Lilly both had shaved their head when Emily had lost her hair. And they were there celebrating with her when she won the battle.

The girls had saved her when she divorced her wife. If the girls hadn't been there she would've end up depressed. It had been a difficult time for her and she had almost give in to her gambling addiction.

They had been devastated when they got the news that Lilly and Donald's son Henry had died when he was five years old.

Despite some heavy things that had happened, they stayed a tight group of friends that where there for each other.

That's why she never hesitated to tell her friends that she had run into their old captain.

Just as she expected, she immediately got several replies to that message. Most of the girls wanted to know if they had talked and how Beca was.

She told them about their short conversation and that they had exchanged phone numbers.

The big surprise came two days later when she received a message from Beca. The moment she read the message she was alarmed. The tone of the message sounded desperate. Not at all how she remembered her old captain. The old Beca always had sent sarcastic messages.

Her kids had gone to her ex wife for the weekend so she didn't have any plans. She texted Beca back that they could meet in about an hour.

Beca had asked her if she had a problem with coming to her house. The tiny brunette didn't feel like going out because she was afraid that the paparazzi would follow her. Cynthia Rose could understand that and asked the brunette for her address.

Before she went on her way to Beca, she texted the girls and told them where she was going. They all were excited and curious what this would lead to.

Her jaw dropped as she parked her car in front of Beca's house. The former Bella lived in a freaking mansion.

Suddenly shy, she rang the doorbell, half expecting a butler opening the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Beca nervously cleaned her already spotless house. After sending Cynthia Rose the message she almost had a nervous breakdown.

Thoughts that her old friend wouldn't answer or telling her that she didn't have time were running through her mind.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, when she received an answer within five minutes after sending her message. Cynthia Rose would be there in about an hour.

To keep herself busy she began to clean her house. Not that it was dirty, but she didn't know what else to do to keep herself from over thinking.

What if their conversation would turn into an fiasco? What if Cynthia Rose was still angry? What if her old friend didn't accept her apologies?

A scenario of what ifs went through her head, and none of them ended well.

When the doorbell finally rang, she froze. Suddenly she wasn't sure if this was a good idea.

Since it was to late to back off she walked to the door.

For some reason Cynthia Rose looked surprised to see her.

"Hi thanks for coming. Uhm, come in" she said awkwardly.

After Cynthia Rose hung up her coat, she followed Beca to the living room.

"Would you like something to drink?" Beca asked after the dark woman sat down.

"A tea please" Cynthia Rose answered.

When Beca came back with the tea and a coffee for herself, she sat down across her friend. They just sat there for a while in complete silence. They both knew that the moment of truth was coming.

"Girl, you look like shit!" Cynthia Rose finally said.

Beca offered her a weak smile before replying.

"Thanks. I'm not to great at the moment. But I'm much better than I was."

"So why did you leave? And why did you come back? But most of all why didn't you kept in touch with any of us?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"I left because I was stupid. I came back, because apparently humans always go back to the place where they feel the safest.I didn't kept in touch because it was just easier. And because I was scared" Beca said.

"What really happened Shawshank? I mean I didn't understand it back then, and I still don't. Nobody did" Cynthia Rose said sincerely.

Beca felt that this was the moment to be completely honest and for the first time in ten years she told anyone what she had really witnessed.

 _It was one day before their graduation. Beca had been to the radio station to give the new manager a few last tips and instructions._

 _When she felt that she had said everything he needed to know, she left. It was still early and she knew that Chloe would be at home._

 _She thought it would be a good idea to spend the rest of the afternoon with her girlfriend. Tonight the Bellas had a pre graduation party planned. Today was the last time they could spent alone._

 _In an unusual good mood she stepped into the Bellas house. Her good mood instantly changed when she caught the end of Chloe's phone conversation._

" _I love you too. I can't wait to finally spent some time with you."_

 _Without letting know her presence, she turned around and walked out of the house. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She couldn't believe that her girlfriend would cheat on her._

 _That night she acted like she didn't know anything. If Chloe was going to dump her, she would save herself from heartbreak and be a step ahead of the redhead._

 _The next day she stayed long enough for their graduation picture. The moment everyone was distracted she just disappeared._

 _I never knew who she was talking to or what she really meant._

After Beca finished her story, Cynthia Rose understood her former captain better. Beca never had been someone who was good at communication. But she couldn't understand that Beca really had thought that Chloe would ever cheat on her. The redhead had adored Beca.

"So instead of talking about what you heard you just walked away and abandoned everyone who ever cared about you?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"Yeah. Now I know how stupid I was. Back then is seemed a good idea" Beca said.

"Girl, sometimes you are really dumb" the black woman said.

"I know. And I'm really sorry. Are you still angry with me?" Beca asked softly.

"No I'm not angry anymore. I used to be angry. In the beginning I couldn't believe you just left. And over the years I have been angry with you" Cynthia Rose confessed.

"I'm sorry" Beca said again.

"You missed out on so many things. Hearing your story now, made me realise that this all could have been prevented if you just had talked to Chloe" Cynthia Rose said honestly.

"I know. Do you think I have a chance to make it up to her? Or the rest?" Beca ask softly.

"I really don't know about Chloe. You leaving her, really fucked her up. She made it very clear that she doesn't want to talk to you. And Legacy shares that same opinion" the black woman told her truthfully.

"And the rest?" Beca asked hopeful.

"Amy, Stacie and Flo where curious about how you're doing. Jessica and Ashley didn't really said much. And Lilly stopped talking five years ago. A lot has happened since you left" Cynthia Rose said.

"I really fucked up, didn't I?" Beca asked.

"Yes, you did. Just give them some time. I will talk to them. I can't promise anything, but I will try to help you were I can" Cynthia Rose promised her.

"Thank you. That's more than I could ask for" the tiny brunette said grateful.

Now they had talked about the why and how, they started a light conversation. Beca asked Cynthia Rose what she had done the past ten years.

"After graduation, I joined the airforce and became a pilot. When I graduated flight school, I married Denise. Together we have three beautiful children. Two sons and a daughter."

"Unfortunately, our marriage didn't last and we got a divorce three years ago. Our children live with me but they stay with Denise every other weekend."

"After the divorce I quit my job as a pilot. It was a difficult time and I wanted to be there for my children. And if it wasn't for the Bellas, I would've ended up in a really bad place."

After being a stay at home mom for a while, I decided that I wanted to work again. The kids were in school and I felt alone all day at home. So I started to work together with Flo at her juice truck company. And I still do that" Cynthia Rose ended her story.

After hearing the other woman's story, Beca felt guilty that she hadn't been there for her when she had needed her the most. But it was nothing compared to what she felt when she asked her about the rest of the Bellas.

"How are the rest of the girls doing?" she asked carefully.

"Well you've seen Chloe. After you left she was devastated. She ended up with a depression and we almost lost her. But eventually she came out of it and she started her own real estate company. You've met her coworker Aubrey. She is an unofficial Bella."

Beca let the other woman's words sink in. She hated herself for making Chloe feel like that.

"You said that Lilly stopped talking. Why is that" she asked suddenly.

"A few years after Barden, Lilly and Donald met again. Their old feelings came back and they started to date. They never got married but they stayed together and started a family. Their son Henry, who was five years old at the time died suddenly. Lilly never got over that and just stopped talking" Cynthia Rose explained.

Beca couldn't believe what she had heard. That was awful. Immediately she felt guilty again. One of her best friends had lost her child and she hadn't been there to comfort her. She was a terrible friend.

"There's more you need to know" Cynthia Rose said softly.

"A few years ago, Legacy was diagnosed with cancer. Luckily the doctors discovered it in time to treat it. After rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, she won that battle. But it changed her for good. She had lost her hair and was really sick."

Hearing that was to much for Beca and she started to cry. Thinking about her innocent aca child being seriously ill, killed her. She was glad that Legacy had survived, but yet again it taught her how selfish she had been. Once again she hadn't been there when one of her friends had needed her the most.

Cynthia Rose noticed how overwhelmed Beca was with all the new information she had just heard. She suggested that she would go home and come back tomorrow.

Silently Beca agreed with her old friend. She hugged her friend and waved her goodbye.

That night she couldn't sleep. She felt like a horrible person and felt guilty and ashamed for how she had acted.


	10. Chapter 10

Cynthia Rose felt bad leaving the visibly upset DJ after everything she told. On the other hand, she knew the tiny brunette good enough to know that she needed some time alone to process everything she just had heard. And to be honest, it was a lot to take in on one evening.

When she was home, she checked her phone only to find out she had several unread messages from the Bellas. Both in the group chat as in separate messages.

The were all curious how her visit to Beca had been. And they wanted to know if she found out why Beca had left all those years ago.

She told them truthfully how it went without telling the reason why Beca had left. She said it wasn't her place to tell. They respected that and they didn't asked any further questions about the topic.

When she told them that she would go back tomorrow, Fat Amy, Stacie and Flo asked if they could come with her.

She didn't know if that was such a good idea. She didn't know how Beca would react when she saw them. But then again, maybe it would be a good start for Beca to repair the bond between herself and the Bellas. Sooner or later she had to face them anyway she figured.

She told them that she would text them when Beca and she would agree on a time. She didn't tell Beca about it. She wanted to surprise the tiny brunette.

The next morning she woke up and saw a new message from Beca.

Her old captain had thanked her for giving her a chance. And asked her if she was free to come back around noon.

She texted back that she would be there. She then texted her three fellow Bellas that she would pick them up at eleven thirty, if they still wanted to come. They all confirmed that they still wanted to join her.

She looked at the clock. If she wanted to be on time she needed to grab a quick shower. When she was ready to leave she had received a text from Flo. She said that all three of them were at Stacie's place. She texted back that she was on her way, and got in her car.

For the second time in two days, she rang the shorter brunettes doorbell. This time the smaller woman looked tired like she hadn't slept at all last night.

"Are you okay, Cap?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, I just didn't slept really well last night. The things you told me yesterday were a lot to take in" the shorter woman said.

"I understand" Cynthia Rose said simply.

"Aren't you coming in?" Beca asked when she realised that they were still standing in the doorway.

"Actually, in have a surprise for you" the dark skinned woman said suddenly nervous.

"I forgot something in my car that I wanted to show you" she added.

Beca noticed the sudden change in the other woman's demeanor. Scared of what the surprise could be, she followed the other woman. After all you never could predicted what happened when the Bellas were involved.

When they reached the spot were Cynthia Rose parked her car, three women stepped out.

"Shortstack!" Fat Amy screamed as soon as she saw Beca.

Shocked, Beca just stood there frozen when she saw three of the women she hadn't seen for so long.

"I guess your surprise succeeded" Stacie said smiling as she high fived Cynthia Rose.

"Hey Shorty" she said to Beca who was trapped in a bone crushing hug from Fat Amy.

"Air! I need to breath Ames" Beca squeaked.

The large Australian let immediately go of her, and she took a breath.

"Hey Captain" Flo said to her.

Stunned because she hadn't expected this she smiled at her three old friends.

"Hey nerds" she said softly as tears escaped from her eyes.

Stacie was the first to step forward and hugged her.

"Shh, It's okay" the taller brunette whispered in her ears.

With the taller woman's arms wrapped around her, Beca once was reminded about what she had missed on out all those years.

Stacie had always comforted her, if Chloe wasn't around that is. Just like all those years ago, the tall woman's presence had an calming effect on her. And soon she was calm down enough to greet the other two properly.

This unexpected mini reunion was exactly what she needed Beca thought as they walked back to her house.

"You're what?" Beca said almost choking on her drink.

It was a few hours later and they were talking about their lives. After Beca told them everything, they had told her how stupid she was.

Later she had asked them about their lives. She was curious what they had done during her absence.

"I'm married and mother to a seven year old daughter" Stacie said again.

"I can't believe that 'the Hunter' finally is tamed" Beca exclaimed.

"Bella was an happy accident. I don't know who her father is, but you've met my wife" Stacie said.

Confused, Beca looked at her.

"I'm married to Aubrey Posen, Chloe's coworker" Stacie said.

"Oh" was all Beca could say.

After an awkward silence, Flo started to talk about her business. After graduation the Guatemalan woman became an American citizen.

She had worked very hard and now she was the owner of one of the biggest juice companies in America.

Hearing her friends stories made her happy. They all had made something of their lives and they had done better than she had. Maybe she was the most famous of them, but they had something that you couldn't buy with all the money in the world. They had unconditional friendship.

They belonged to a group that she once had belonged to too. A group she desperately wanted to belong again.


	11. Chapter 11

Two weeks had passed since that mini reunion. Beca hadn't seen the girls since then but they kept in touch. They messaged frequently and Fat Amy had still the same old habit of blowing her phone up with the most inappropriate photos and details. Details nobody wanted to know.

Stacie had asked her numerous times to come by and meet her daughter. She had declined politely using the excuse that she was to busy with the renovation. It was a bullshit excuse and the taller brunette knew that too.

In reality, Beca was to scared to come over because of Stacie's wife. She had met the woman only once but it was enough to scare the shit out of her. Plus the woman was now Chloe's best friend.

She had looked up the woman on Google and found out she used to be an Major in the USA army. That alone and the way the woman had acted towards her was enough reason to avoid her.

" _Come on Bree, give her a chance" Stacie asked her wife._

" _No, absolutely not! I don't think it's a good idea. And I don't like her" Aubrey answered._

" _You don't even know her" Stacie said._

" _I read magazines Stace" the blonde shot back._

" _Most of that are lies. Besides Beca is one of my oldest friends. Bella almost turns eight and for the first time we are all here to celebrate it" Stacie tried again._

" _What kind of friend abandons her friends like that?" Aubrey asked her wife._

" _You have a point. And while I don't agree with the way she had acted, I do believe she deserves a second chance. She really feels bad about what she did all those years ago. And I just can't stay mad at her. She was there for me when I needed her the most when I was eighteen. And no matter what happened I'm still grateful for that. If she hadn't been there for me then, I wouldn't be here today" Stacie said now softly._

" _I know babe. I'm happy she was there too. If it was only for you, I would do my best and act politely to her. But there are others involved. Think of Chloe. Or Emily or Lilly" the blonde sighed._

" _I know they have faced hard times when Beca wasn't here, but she's still one of our oldest friends. I think it would be good for them to see each other and talk things out" Stacie tried for the last time._

" _Fine! I will think about it. But I'm not promising anything" the blonde finally groaned._

 _Stacie peppered her wife with kisses before leaving the house to go to her job._

" _What did I just promised?" Aubrey whispered softly to herself as the front door closed._

Beca was almost ready with her work for today at her renovation project. The construction workers had left thirty minutes ago, and she was all alone.

She opened the door to leave when she noticed Aubrey standing there. Her first thought was closing the door. If the blonde wanted to kill her, this was the best moment to do it she thought.

"What are your intentions" the blonde asked her before she could act on her thoughts.

"Excuse me?" Beca asked confused.

"What are your intentions with the Bellas?" the blonde asked again.

She invited the blonde woman in so they could talk privately.

"I know we started in the wrong foot, but I swear I didn't came here to shake things up or make things worse. That I found Chloe again was pure coincidence" Beca said.

The blonde didn't react, just looked at Beca with raised brows as if she waited for an explanation.

"You probably heard or seen my breakdown on TV?" Beca asked her.

The blonde nodded and she continued her story.

"When I ran away from that TV studio, I just got in my car and started to drive. I always drive around to clear my head. After driving for a while I saw this house. It immediately caught my eye. This house looks so much like the the Bellas house. Then I noticed the for sale sign and then Chloe's face" the brunette said softly.

Aubrey had watched the small woman closely when she told her story. She noticed the sadness in the other woman's eyes when she said Chloe's name. But there had been something else too. Something that told her that her wife had told her the truth when she had talked about Beca.

"I will be honest with you. I don't like you. You've hurt my best friend badly. I think you look like a hobbit. And I definitely don't like your ear monstrosities, but for some reason my wife talks highly of you. Therefore I will give you a chance. That's all you get. If you screw up I will personally kill you. Do you understand that" Aubrey said.

"I promise I won't hurt anyone anymore. And thank you for giving me a chance" Beca answered.

The blonde gave her a small smile in return and then left without saying anything.

Confused about what just happened Beca sat there. She hoped things finally would get back on the right track.


	12. Chapter 12

Beca was extremely grateful for having most of the Bellas back in her life. But it wasn't enough. She wanted them all back in her life.

She wanted to personally congratulate Jessica and Ashley on their wedding, even if they were already married for seven years.

She wanted to hold Lilly and tell her how sorry she was that she hadn't been there during the darkest moment of her life.

But most of all, she wanted to make things right between herself and Chloe. After ten years, her heart still only beated for the redhead. She desperately wanted to tell her favorite redhead what happened. And she wanted an answer from Chloe to the question who she had been talking to on the phone all those years ago.

And then there was Emily. Her sweet innocent aca child. The girl that always had looked up to her. That had always treated her like she was something special. The thought that she hadn't been there when Legacy had needed her the most killed her inside. She should've been there during the sweet girls sickness. If she had known, she would've dropped everything to be there and support her like she was supposed to.

But Beca was scared. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to repair the damage she had caused. She needed to prove them that this time she wouldn't run away when things got hard. She needed to show them that she had changed for the better. That she meant it when she said she wanted to be there for them.

Aubrey's promise to personally kill her contributed to the fact that she was scared to death to make a mistake. She had no doubt that the blonde would kill her. Beca couldn't blame the woman. After all, Aubrey had been there when she hadn't.

Deep in thoughts, Beca was working on her renovation project. She was ahead of her schedule and was now busy redecorate the rooms.

Looking at one of the photos she had printed out, to see if she had the right colour to paint the walls, she sighed when she thought of the mess she had created. A mess she needed to clean up as soon as possible. Stacie kept inviting her to finally meet her daughter. She was running out of excuses to decline the invitations.

She knew she needed to sack the fuck up and take the first step. If she wanted to gain their trust again, she needed to show them that she was changed. That she was here for the long haul and wasn't going to run away when things got difficult.

So she did what she had to do. What she should've done long time ago. She texted the girls and asked them if they could come over tomorrow.

When they agreed on a suitable time, Beca texted them the address of the house she was renovating.

Eagerly she awaiting the arrival of het friends. She wanted to see the look on their faces when they saw the house. She was certainly they would be shocked.

Just as she predicted, the women were shocked when they saw the building before them.

"Man, this just looks like the…." Cynthia Rose stammered, unable to complete her sentence.

"I know. That's why I bought it" Beca said with a smirk.

"Wait till you see the inside."

Speechless the other women followed their old captain into the house. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw what the brunette already had accomplished in the short time she had owned the house.

The outside of the house had looked very much like the Bella house they had shared during college. But the inside was a perfect replica of said house. Of course, it wasn't furnished but they could see how much detail Beca had put into it, to rebuild the home that held so many memories.

"Becs, this is amazing! It's perfect" Stacie said excitedly.

"It's almost like stepping back in time" Cynthia Rose admitted.

"Yeah it it. But it would be more perfect if we all could enjoy this" Beca said when they all sat down.

"That's why I asked you to come. First of all I want to apologise once again for everything I've done. I want you to know that I truly learned from my mistakes. And although I'm forever grateful to have you guys back in my life, it's not enough. I just miss the rest, especially Chlo and Legacy. I want to do everything that I have to do to make it up to them. But I can't do it alone. I need help and I was hoping that you guys wanted to help me" Beca said.

They quickly agreed that they would help their old captain out. This had lasted long enough and maybe with Beca coming back things would finally get back to how it should've had been.

"I think I have an idea" Stacie suddenly spoke up.

"How much time do you think you need to finish the inside of the house?" the tall brunette asked.

"Uhm, if I work seven days a week, I think it could be done in two months. Why?" Becs asked.

"Bella turns eight in three months. And for the first time since she was born we are all here to celebrate it. This would be the perfect place to do it" Stacie explained.

They quickly agreed to that but they knew it wouldn't be enough to get the remaining Bellas warm up to Beca again. In the meantime they had to think about something to introduce Beca back in their lives.

Cynthia Rose thought it was best to start with Jessica and Ashley. They were fairly neutral and and most likely would be open to the idea to meet with Beca and listen to what she had to say.

Flo offered to talk with them since she worked closely together with them. In the meantime, Fat Amy would try to get Chloe and Legacy open up more to the idea of giving Beca a second chance.

When they finalised their plan, the four women left.

Determined, Beca continued to work on the house, well aware of the fact that this was the only chance she got to make things right again.


	13. Chapter 13

Florencia Fuentes was sitting behind the big desk in her office. She just finished a three hour long meeting with Big John, the owner of the biggest juice truck company in America. He was retiring and wanted to sell his company to her. If the deal was on, it would make her the owner of the biggest juice truck company in the country. With at least one juice truck in every state, her company was already well known by the public.

Never in a million years she had thought she would come so far. But if she was honest, she had to admit she would never had come this far without Jessica and Ashley. Their management and marketing skills had made her company what it was today.

Teamwork had always been the strength of the Bellas. And it was that strength and the unconditional support of the rest that had made 'Go with the Flo' a company with a two million dollar profit a year.

Working together with Jessica and Ashley had always felt natural. She knew she could trust them and together the blonde and the brunette worked best.

Outside work they were the two Bellas she talked the most to. At the start of her company they had shared a house. Until Jessica and Ashley got married, the three of them had lived together. She knew she could talk to them about everything. That's why she had asked them to come to see her after the meeting.

A short knock on the door indicated that the two women had arrived. She got up and walked to the door to let them in. As the three women sat down with a drink, Jessica was the first one to speak.

"I guess you didn't ask us to come because you wanted to talk about the company."

"No I didn't. I wanted to talk with you about something else" Flo said.

"Well, shoot" Ashley said.

"You know I've been talking to Beca lately?" she asked them.

"Yeah, we know" the couple said in unison.

"She wants to talk to you. Explain why she left and personally apologise to you. And I was wondering if you two are open to that?" Flo asked them.

The two women didn't answer right away. They didn't had a close bond with Beca, like some of the others had. But Beca had been their friend. They always had felt left out a bit when they had been performing, and when Beca left they had felt a little bit betrayed. Not as much as the others, but still they had been mad.

Without saying anything the two women looked at each other. For an outsider it looked weird that they conversed with their eyes but Flo was used to that by now.

"We guess everyone deserves a second chance, and we're curious about what she has to say. So why not?" Jessica said for the two of them.

"I knew you would say something like that" Flo said delighted.

They talked for a while and Flo told them that she would give Beca their phone numbers so that she contact them.

" _Beca Mitchell, America's most famous and successful music producer just announced that she quits the music industry. No reasons were given. Rumours are that Jesse Swanson, miss Mitchell's biggest rival will take over her label and her clients. We tried to contact miss Mitchell's management but they won't comment on the issue."_

" _The famous music producer started her career at Barden University were she was the captain of an a capella group…."_

Shocked the youngest Bella turned of the radio. Although she made it very clear that she didn't want to talk to her former captain, Emily Applebaum couldn't surpress a feeling of concern when she heard the news.

From the moment she joined the Bellas, she had looked up to the tiny brunette. It didn't take long before she had called both Chloe and Beca her aca moms.

While Chloe mostly took care of her emotional wellbeing, Beca had always been the protective parent. She had always encouraged Emily to give her everything to music.

Then Beca had left without saying a word to anyone. Emily couldn't understand why her aca mom had left and felt like she was abandoned.

Then she became sick. During that time she had wished that Beca would come and visit her. That Beca would assure her that everything would be fine. But Beca never came. She had felt rejected and unimportant. And from that moment she promised herself that she never wanted to see or talk to her aca mom again. It was her own way to protect herself from getting hurt again in the future, if Beca decided to show up ever again.

Fat Amy heard the news on the radio when she was in her car on her way to Chloe. This news was exactly what she needed to talk about it with the redhead.

Although the news came suddenly, Fat Amy wasn't surprised to hear it. Beca had so many issues going on that she couldn't concentrate on her job anymore. She had to say that she admired her short friend for the decisions she made. This decision showed that she meant it when she had said that her friends came first from now on.

To her surprise, Legacy was the first one to start a conversation about the tiny woman. Apparently Legacy had heard the news as well. She texted them about it in their group chat. Asking if the four Bellas who had talked to Beca had known about it.

The four women had answered that they hadn't known about, but that at the same time they weren't surprised by it.

With a deep sigh she parked her car in front of Chloe's house. Today wasn't going to be easy, that was one thing she knew for sure. But at the same time it was a topic they couldn't avoid anymore. Beca was back and sooner or later the two former lovers would meet again.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're aware of the fact that you can't avoid her forever?"

"I know. It's just… I'm not ready, okay?" Chloe said to her best friend.

"Honey, it's been ten years. By now you've had enough time to decide what you want to say to her" Aubrey said as she rolled her eyes.

"You start to sound like Fat Amy, you know? She said almost the same thing the other day" the redhead said.

"Well, this time she's right."

"What's the worst thing that can happen? Just listen to what the girl has to say" Aubrey tried convincing her best friend to talk to Beca.

Aubrey couldn't believe herself for doing this. Somehow her wife had tricked her into talking to Chloe about that hobbit.

Aubrey first hadn't want to talk with Chloe about Beca, but after talking to her wife she could understand why it was so important. Stacie had told her about the relationship Chloe and Beca had. But most importantly, Stacie had told her why Beca had left.

She didn't know the superstar and to be honest she wasn't interested at all to getting to know her. After all the woman had hurt her best friend.

To Aubrey it didn't matter that it happened way before she met the redhead. But if she had to do this to keep her wife happy, she was willing to try and convince the redhead to at least listen to what Beca had to say. That's why she had paid the brunette a visit.

 _Nervously Jessica gripped the hands of her wife tightly. Two days after the conversation with Flo, Beca had messaged them. After texting back and forth, they agreed on a date and time to meet up._

" _Why are you so scared love? It's just Beca" Ashley said to her wife._

" _I know. It's just that's it has been ten years since we last saw her. What if Beca changed drastically?" the blonde said softly._

" _Don't be ridiculous. If she had changed, Flo or the others would've told us" the brunette said optimistically._

 _The two women arrived at the house on Hope Lane. They were ten minutes early but knocked on the door anyway. They heard a loud bang before the door opened, revealing the woman they hadn't seen in a decade._

" _Jessica, I'm so glad you came, and you too Ashley" the short brunette said as she awkwardly hugged Ashley._

" _I'm Ashley and that's Jessica."_

" _I'm sorry guys. I still don't know which one of you is who" their old captain said clearly embarrassed._

" _It's okay. At least that didn't changed" Jessica said._

" _Well come in" Beca said to the two women._

 _They followed her into the house and then they abruptly stopped. Surprised they looked around them. Although, the house wasn't far from ready, they could see what the short brunette was doing. They were amazed at how far the tiny brunette was with her renovation, considering the short amount of time she had been back._

" _Wow! This is amazing" Jessica exclaimed excitedly._

" _Thanks. I hope I finish it in time to celebrate Bella's birthday here" Beca said._

 _After Beca gave them a tour around the house, the three of them sat together in the kitchen._

" _I guess you two have a lot of questions" Beca said not really sure how to start the conversation._

 _Jessica and Ashley were probably the least curious women of the Bellas. They respected other people's privacy and believed that everyone had their reasons for acting the way they did. But they couldn't deny that they weren't curious as to why Beca had left so suddenly all those years ago._

 _Beca explained to them what had happened all those years ago that made her leave. How she had over heard Chloe's phone conversation and immediately came to the conclusion that her girlfriend was cheating on her._

" _I still don't understand how you could think that. I mean it's Chloe we're talking about. She's probably the most caring and loving person on this planet. She would never cheat on you" Ashley said._

" _She was probably talking to her parents or siblings" Jessica added to her wife's statement._

" _Yeah, I know that now. But back then I was really insecure about everything" Beca said softly._

 _The two women felt sorry for their old captain. They could see how much her decision had affected the tiny DJ. They knew het good enough to know how much it had cost her to admit that she had made a mistake. And they admired her for being honest and how much she tried to repair the damage she had cost. This house was the proof of that. What she had accomplished in such a short time was amazing._

 _Years ago Jessica and Ashley were afraid to speak up but now ten years later they weren't. So they told Beca how proud they were for what she was doing._

 _They dropped the early topic and talked about what they had done the past ten years. Of course, they told the short brunette about their wedding day._

 _After everything that needed to be said was said the conversation became more lightly. They talked about random things when there was a knock on the door. Beca excused herself and got up to open the door. She was curious who it could be as not many people knew where she was during the day._

 _She couldn't be more surprised to find the redhead standing there._

" _Chloe?" was all she could say._

 _The two women in the kitchen took that as their cue to leave. They hastily said their goodbyes and left the two former lovers alone for their much needed conversation._


	15. Chapter 15

Chloe Beale wasn't happy at all. Ever since a certain brunette had come back in her life, she felt like she didn't have any control over her feelings anymore. Since Beca had shown up in her office, she had mixed feelings. Well, it was more like a storm of feelings went through her body.

She had expected that her feelings would match the attitude she had displayed to her former lover, but it was far from the truth. She was still angry about the way Beca had left. Then she realised that the ten years that Beca was absent from her life didn't change the way she felt about her. Like at all. She still had the same strong feelings for the brunette like she had ten years ago.

As much as she tried to forget about the brunette or tried to surpress her feelings for her, she knew she couldn't possibly get herself to that.

Then there were her friends. She knew she had done the right thing when she informed them that Beca was back. She just hadn't expect that most of them would forgive her so quickly for abandon them.

It certainly didn't help that her friends tried to push her to listen to what the brunette had to say. First, Cynthia Rose had come to her and forced her to talk about the things that she had tried to forget the past ten years. The second person whotold her in a not so subtle way that she needed to give Beca a chance to explain herself was Stacie. Then Fat Amy had come to her and told her to sack up and talk to Beca. She could understand why her friends tried to push her to do the things she wasn't ready for. They all had missed the tiny brunette and wished that things go back to how it used to be.

What she couldn't understand was Aubrey. Her blonde best friend and coworker, didn't know the music producer. The only things Aubrey knew about her was what she had read in magazine or seen on TV. And now her best friend had turned against her. She knew Stacie had something to do with it. After all, the two of them were married. She could imagine the two of them talking about Beca and the things she had done. Plus Stacie knew the reasons the brunette had for acting the way she had done.

After the umpteenth discussion with her friends, Chloe had enough. If they wanted her to listen to the brunette, she would do that. She decided to go over to Beca, give her ten minutes to explain everything and then go away and never look back. She would only do it to satisfy her friends. Or at least that was what she kept telling herself.

Still angry from her discussion with Bree, she got in her car and drove to Hope Lane. This had to stop and today she would made it clear to the brunette that she was done with her. Today she would make it clear that she didn't want Beca back in her life.

Finally she reached the house and got out of her car. She marched to the front door and knocked on it. It took a few moments before the door was opened. A clearly surprised Beca stared at her.

All Chloe could do was stare at the beautiful brunette before her. All the promises she made to herself had vanished the moment she stared in those beautiful stormy blue eyes. Time had treated Beca well and she was still as beautiful as she had been ten years ago.

Chloe could see the brunettes mouth moving but she didn't register what she was saying. She barely registered Jessica and Ashley leaving. All she could do was stare at the beautiful woman before her. It felt like time had stood still. Her body and feelings completely took over and there wasn't anything she could do to stop herself. She wanted to fight the feelings that had came back but at that moment she knew it was impossible. It didn't matter that they had been apart for ten years. All she wanted to do was kiss Beca. Feel those lips on her own again.

She leaned forward and kissed the love of her life. For a moment Beca froze but regained herself quickly and kissed her back. Kissing Beca felt so natural and she gave herself completely for a moment. Then her senses came back. What the hell was she doing? This wasn't why she had come. She pulled back and looked Beca in the eyes.

"We need to talk" was the only thing she could say.


	16. Chapter 16

Beca didn't know what the hell was happening. One moment she was talking to Jessica and Ashley and the next moment she found the redhead on her doorstep.

She couldn't help but to utter a surprised Chloe. From the corner of her eyes she saw Jessica and Ashley leaving. She managed to say a quick goodbye before she turned her full attention back to Chloe.

She asked the redhead what she was doing here, but she didn't get a response. It looked like the redhead was in her own world and didn't seem to hear her.

The redheads next move surprised her even more. Without a warning Chloe kissed her. For a moment she froze because she totally didn't expected it. But her moment of shock didn't last long. Her body took over as she felt the familiar lips on her own. Then as suddenly it had started, it stopped. The redhead pulled back and looked at her. She looked as surprised as Beca felt.

"We need to talk" was the only thing Chloe said.

Beca nodded in agreement. They definitely needed to talk about this. This whole situation confused the hell out of her. She had thought that she would never see the redhead again, and now she had come here and kissed her.

She would lie if she said that she didn't enjoyed their kiss, but at the other hand she knew that kissing wasn't the right way to start over.

If she wanted to repair the damage she had caused, they needed to start with honesty and trust and not lust.

She asked Chloe to come in the house but the redhead didn't want to go in. Instead the sat on the porch. Before Beca could open her mouth to explain things, Chloe beat her.

"Beca Mitchell, I still love you more than the bible says is right, but I shouldn't have kiss you. I don't know what came over me and I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong signal. I'm still angry with you and even though I just kissed you, it doesn't change that" Chloe said suddenly embarrassed.

"It's alright Chlo. If there's someone who should apologising for everything, it should be me. I shouldn't have left the way I did. I should've have talked to you instead" Beca said.

"Why did you leave? For the past ten years I asked myself that question every day" the redhead said without looking at her.

"I thought you were cheating on me."

Now it was time for Beca to be embarrassed.

"You thought what?!" Chloe asked now shocked.

Of all the reasons she had thought of the last ten years, this wasn't something she had ever thought of.

"Why made you think I would ever cheat on you?" she asked confused.

"Do you remember the day before graduation?" Beca asked.

"No not really. And around that time we were all so busy with life after graduation. Why do you ask to that particular day?" Chloe asked now curious.

"That day I went to the radio station to give Silver a few last tips and instructions on how to run the station. When there was nothing more I could think of to say to him, I left. 

I knew you would be at home since it was still early. I thought it would be nicr to spend the rest of the afternoon with you.

That night the Bellas had a pre graduation party planned. And that day was the last time we could have some alone time.

I wanted to surprise you, so I sneaked into the house really quiet. You hadn't heard me, but I could hear you talking on the phone ending the call.

"I love you too. I can't wait to finally spent some time with you."

When I heard you saying that my heart broke. I couldn't believe that you would ever cheat on me. I was afraid that you would break up with me, so I thought it was better to be a step ahead and just go to make it easier.

"I still don't know know who you were talking to that day. And it still haunts me to this day" Beca explained softly, not even caring anymore that she was crying.


	17. Chapter 17

Dumbfounded, Chloe stared at the brunette. She couldn't believe what she just heard. This whole mess was based on a misunderstanding. If Beca would've talked to her, this could have been prevented.

Through the years she had thought about a million different scenarios, but what the short brunette had told her wasn't one of them. She couldn't understand why Beca thought she would ever cheat on her. It wasn't unusual for her to tell the people she talked to that she loved them. She said it all the time, that's why she couldn't understand Beca's reaction. She always had thought that the brunette knew how much she loved her. That she knew that everything between them was good.

Her anger towards Beca had vanished instantly when she heard the real reason why Beca had left. But her heart completely broke when she heard the brunettes next question.

"Who did you talked to that day?" Beca asked in a small voice.

The tiny brunette looked like she was afraid of the answer. The question brought Chloe's memories back to that particular day.

She had been talking to her oldest brother. After a year long travelling, he had called her to tell her that he and his family would be at their parents house for the summer. The sentence Beca heard her say was to her three year old nephew. Harvey had always loved his auntie and he couldn't wait to see her.

"I was talking to David. He called me that day to tell me he would be spending the summer at our parents house. I was so excited to see them again after a year. Harvey was excited too. He had grabbed the phone from his daddy to tell me that. What you heard me say was my response to him" Chloe said.

She looked at Beca and could see a sense of relief washing over her face. It looked liked she finally had some closure after such a long time.

"I've been such an idiot" Beca said after a moment of silence.

"I wished you had came to me and told me what bothered you. I could've explained everything and then all this wouldn't have happened" she said softly.

Beca didn't respond to that and both women just sat there in silence. The impact of what happened and how it could have been prevented weighed heavy on both of them.

Chloe needed some time alone to process everything. The talk they had was a start but it didn't erase ten years of hurt and anger.

She left Beca behind but not after she promised to come back soon. They needed to talk more if they wanted to repair their friendship, but not today. Chloe needed to give today's emotions a place before they could go further.

Chloe did what she always did when she needed some time alone to think. After her visit to Beca she got in het car and drove to her family's summer house.

Before she settled herself, she messaged her friends to tell them she had spoken to Beca but that she needed some time alone. She turned off her phone and poured herself some wine.

After receiving Chloe's message, Aubrey started to worry. She had a gut feeling that something wasn't right with her best friend.

"Stace, something is wrong with Chloe. I can feel it" she said.

"Bree, calm down. You've read her message. She just need some time to think. She probably has a lot to think about after her talk to Beca. I bet there's a lot she needs to process and we should give her the space she needs" Stacie said.

"But…"

"No but. Listen Bree, you don't know how Chloe was in college, but I do. What she and Beca had was something special. I can imagine what she is going through right now. After ten years she finally heard the truth and you know how sensitive she is. Give her some space" Stacie said firmly.

Aubrey promised her wife that she would let it go, even though she got the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

 _It had been a week since they last heard something from Chloe. Emily started to get worried. Since they graduated, Chloe made sure to call her at least once a week._

 _The legacy Bella cursed her once beloved aca mom. If she hadn't come back, Chloe wouldn't have gone away. She couldn't hold her anger towards the former Bellas captain anymore._

 _She got in her car and drove to the house on Hope Lane. She took a deep breath before stepping out of her car. She needed to control her emotions before facing the woman she hated deeply for the past ten years._

 _She walked over to the door and knocked. She thought she was prepared to see Beca again, but she was never so wrong in her entire life as she was now._

 _Her initial plan was to scream at the shorter brunette and blame her that Chloe had left. But none of that happened when she stood face to face with the woman she once looked up to._

" _Beca" was all she could say as the tears left her eyes._


	18. Chapter 18

Initially Beca was surprised when she found the legacy Bella on her doorstep, but that feeling changed quickly into concern when she saw the state Emily was in. The once happy Bella was crying uncontrollably.

Beca really wanted to wrap her arms around the youngest Bella to comfort her, but she didn't. Too much had happened the past years for her to do that. Her heart broke when she took in the sight of the heartbroken young woman before her.

Legacy was the only person she had considered as her daughter. Years ago, Legacy had called her jokingly her aca mom alongside with Chloe. But seeing the young woman now, she felt like she had failed. First by abandon her aca child, secondly, she hadn't been there when Emily had needed her the most. And right now she failed again because she couldn't even comfort her.

Long time ago she would've held the girl in her arms and tell her that everything would be okay, but today she could only wait until the taller woman was calm enough to tell her why she was here. So she waited patiently until Legacy was ready to talk.

Seeing Beca again made things only worse for Emily. She thought it would be easy for her to go to her former aca mom, and blame her for everything she had done, but it wasn't.

When she saw Beca, a lot of memories came back. Too many happy memories of a time when everything had been perfect in her life. She wanted to hate the older woman but she couldn't. Hating people wasn't something that came naturally to her. And as much as she was hurt by Beca's actions in the past, she still loved her aca mom. The past hadn't erased anything of the strong bond they once shared.

She took her time to get rid of all the emotions that made her cry. She wasn't the innocent aca baby anymore. She was a grown ass woman now. A married woman. A mom of three with a forth on the way and she wanted to be treated like one.

When she felt she was calm enough to talk, she looked her aca mom in the eyes, and asked the only burning question that had bothered her all those years.

"Why?"

"Em, I'm so sorry for everything I caused. I never left because of you. I loved you so much and I still do. I never realised how much impact my absence had on you. I wish I could turn back time and handle things differently. But I didn't know back then and I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that I wasn't there when you needed me so. I know, me showing up here doesn't make things right instantly, but I do hope that some day you will forgive me. That we can repair the bond we once shared" Beca said softly.

Her aca mom never broke eye contact while saying it and she could see the truth in her eyes, but it wasn't an answer to her question.

"Beca, why did you leave?" she asked.

"I left because of Chloe. I thought she was cheating on me. I was so scared she would break up with me, that I just left" Beca said simply.

"Huh?" Emily said not understanding it at all.

She had always assumed that she had done something wrong that made Beca leave. So when she heard the older womens explanation, a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders, but it also left her confused.

When Beca explained what happened all those years before, the last pieces of the puzzle fell in place for Emily. She could clearly remember how weird Beca had acted those last two days at Barden.

Back then she had dismissed the feeling that something had changed. Now she wished she hadn't. If she had spoke up all those years ago, maybe she could've prevent this whole situation. Then she wouldn't have laid all those nights awake in the hospital, wishing that Beca would visit her.

Suddenly a realisation hit her. This whole situation wasn't all Beca's fault. Sure it would've been easier if she had talked about it. But Emily herself had a part in this too. She had noticed the change in the short brunette. She had been the only one to notice that. Maybe it was because she was the only one that didn't have to stress about a life outside Barden. She had noticed it and she hadn't done a thing about it.

This new insight of what had happened ten years ago were to much for her. Without saying anything she just stood up and left without looking back.

If she had looked back, she would've seen the confused and concerned expression on her aca moms face.


	19. Chapter 19

If Legacy had stepped in her car and drove off, Beca immediately would've called one of the Bellas or even Aubrey and asked them to look out for her. To her surprise, Legacy didn't step in her car. She had walked past her car and disappeared behind the house. That's why Beca was so confused.

Then she remembered one of Emily's old habits. During college, Emily always could be found in the garden of the Bellas house, whenever she needed to think or when something had happened.

"I guess old habits never die" Beca said softly to herself.

She gave the younger woman some time before going after her. Slowly she followed the same path Legacy had ten minutes before her.

Beca's heart completely broke when she saw the young Bella. Legacy was sitting on the ground between the flowers. She caressed her swollen belly while crying uncontrollably.

Wordlessly, Beca sat next to her, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Beca" Legacy whispered.

"Why are you sorry Em?" Beca asked confused.

"I was there that day. I haven't heard Chloe's conversation, but I did saw you. And when I saw you leave, I didn't think much of it. I figured you forget something and went to get it or something" the younger Bella confessed.

"Em, it wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong" Beca assured her.

"You don't get it" Emily said in frustration.

"Then explain it to me" Beca simply said.

"Later that night during our movie marathon, I noticed that something had changed in the way you acted. First I assumed it was because you were stressed about leaving Barden, so I decided to let it go" Emily softly explained.

"Oh Em, I'm really sorry you struggled with that for years, but it wasn't your fault" Beca said.

"No, that's not why I struggled with this. When you left the next day, I thought you did it because of me. I assumed that somehow you saw me and was pissed off or something. I thought you left because of me" the taller brunette said softly.

The truth of Legacy's word hit them both with full force. Suddenly, Beca understood why Legacy hadn't want to see her. She had been scared that Beca still was angry with her. All those years the young woman had blamed herself for Beca's abrupt departure.

She sighed at the mess she created. If she hadn't been so stupid all those years ago, her friends wouldn't be hurting today. Then she wouldn't be hurting today.

At the same time, Emily had similar thoughts. If she had confronted Beca all those years ago, she wouldn't have lost the woman she looked up to so much. Then Beca would've been there to support her during her battle against the cancer. Then Beca would've been there when she had given birth to her first child. She would've have been there when she adopted her two other children. If only she had the courage back then.

 _Beale's Summer Residence_

 _Something was wrong. Out of nowhere, Chloe got a feeling that something was terribly wrong. It had been a long time ago that she had felt this way._

 _The last time had been when Legacy almost had died during one of her surgeries. And the last time before that had been when Beca had slipped and broke her left wrist._

 _And right now that feeling had come back. She stopped everything she was doing and just got in her car. She didn't know where to go, only that she needed to trust that voice within and follow her intuition._

 _She wasn't at all surprised when she stopped at Beca's house. She parked the car and got out. She immediately recognised Legacy's car. So her feelings had been right. Legacy being here wasn't a good sign._

 _She wanted to walk to the door to knock, when she saw Beca walk around the house. Chloe waited a few moments before following the brunette._

 _Her heart broke when she saw the two women she loved so much, sitting together, both visibly upset. Her heart broke even more when she overheard their conversation._

 _She felt guilty deep inside about the fact that apparently Legacy hadn't trust her enough to tell her what bothered her. Guilty because she had made the love of her life think that she would ever cheat. Yes, she had been there for Legacy when she was at the hospital, but she hadn't took care properly for the younger woman's mental health. All those years she only thought about her own anger and pain instead of paying attention to her aca child._

 _Tears welled up in her eyes when she looked at the two women in the distance. Without hesitation she walked over to her two girls and held them tightly in her arms._

For a long time the three of them were just sitting there, holding on to each other. None of them knew what was supposed to happen next. Something had changed the moment the three of them sat together. They weren't quite there yet, but it was a start. A small step in the right direction.


	20. Chapter 20

Renovating a house was a challenge. Renovating a house and make an exact replica of an already existing house was an even more challenging task.

Somehow Beca had managed it to finish it two weeks before Bella's birthday bash. She really had to credit the construction workers she had hired. She had to admit she couldn't have accomplished it with a little help from some of the Bellas.

She still had to meet the birthday girl and the rest of the Bella babies. And she still hadn't find the time to speak personally with Lilly. Mainly because she had worked her ass off to finish the house on time.

That afternoon with Chloe and Legacy had changed everything. She hadn't seen then since then, but they started slowly with texting. That they were talking now didn't necessarily meant that everything was okay.

A lot had happened in ten years and there still was a lot to talk about, if they truly wanted to repair their relationship. Not only between the three of them, with the other Bellas as well.

She had betrayed all of them with her actions and she did not take it lightly. She knew she had to gain back the trust of each and every one of them. There was nothing she wouldn't do to proof them that she was back to stay. That she was there for the long haul. She wanted to proof them that she would stay, no matter how hard things were going to be.

She was still working on the house, finishing some last things of the interior. She smiled as she walked through the house.

In contrary to the house she lived in, this house was full of live. Her own house had empty walls, in this house the walls were covered in pictures of the Bellas. Not only pictures of their college years covered the wall, pictures of the last ten years as well. Almost every Bella had given Beca copies of their favourite pictures from the last decade. Beca herself even added some pictures of her own. Most of the pictures were from events and award shows she had attended.

When she was finished, she made a final round through the house. When she was satisfied, she left and locked up. Tomorrow she would drop off the key at Stacie and Aubrey's place, so that they could come and go as they pleased to decorate for Bella's birthday.

When she enjoyed her well deserved shower that night, she couldn't help but to think about a shower incident that happened nearly fifteen years ago.

 _She hated it here. She lived at Barden for a month now and so far she hadn't make any friends. Apart from the other intern at the radio station, she didn't know anyone. The fact that she still had to show up in any of her classes maybe contributed to that fact._

 _After one of the many fights she had with her dad, she decided to take a shower. She knew the warm water would calm her nerves and made her more relaxed._

 _Without caring if anyone was around she sang at the top of her lungs. She hadn't expect that someone would enter her shower stall and joining her song._

 _She remembered how she had turned around in shock when she had heard that second voice. She definitely hadn't expected to stand face to face with a gorgeous but stark naked redhead. They had looked at each other but didn't stop singing. Surprisingly, their voices matched perfectly._

 _When the song was over, the redhead had walked closer to her until she could feel her breath on her skin. Goosebumps formed as she looked in the bluest eyes she had ever seen._

" _Hi, I'm Chloe" the redhead introduced herself as it was the most normal thing in the world to invade a strangers shower._

" _Uhm, I'm Beca" she had answered while openly checking out the other girl._

 _The redhead didn't seem to mind, in fact she was checking out Beca herself._

" _You have a lovely voice" Chloe said as she took a step closer to Beca._

" _You too" Beca said softly._

 _The redhead locked her lips before leaning forward. Beca closed the gap between them and she felt the soft lips of the redhead on her own lips._

 _After an heat out making out session, Chloe had invited her to audition for the Bellas. Until the day of the auditions, Beca had hesitated to actually go. It had been a last minute decision to audition….._

She couldn't help but to smile at the memory. That first meeting and kiss was the start of an interesting four years at Barden. More than anything else, she wished that she could go back to that time.

Beca was bored. Earlier that day she had dropped off the key at Stacie's. Stacie hadn't been home but Aubrey was. After an short and awkward conversation she had gone back to her house.

That was exactly why she was bored. She was alone in her big but empty house. She really needed some companion, but she knew it was still too early to invite the rest of the Bellas at her house. She still needed to work on their relationship to gain back their trust completely.

She had gone to her indoor recording studio to work on some old music. She had found them when she was going through the stuff her father had given to her. When she read the lyrics, old memories had come back to life. She was inspired and recorded them.

She was just finished with the last song, when her phone started to buzz. Curious she checked what it was about. She didn't have much contact with people so she didn't expect a message.

She started to worry a bit when she read Fat Amy's cryptical message.

 _Shortstack the window of the soul reveals everything._

Beca didn't know what that meant. It wasn't at all like Fat Amy's style. She was about to sent a reply when her phone started to buzz again. Another message from Fat Amy.

 _Look out the window._

She left her recording studio and walked to the nearest window that overlooked her driveway. She didn't know what she had to expect and was shocked to see the surprise her friend had for her.

On het driveway stood her entire Bella family. Including their spouses, partners and kids. Some of them even brought their dogs.

She smiled as she saw the banner the children were holding. It looked like they had made it themselves when she read the colorful letters.

 _WELCOME HOME BECA!_

As fast as her short legs could she ran downstairs to open the door for her friends. After all those years they still invited themselves for a party when they thought it was necessary. But she didn't care at all. She was just grateful that her friends gave her a second chance.

With a big smile on her face she opened the double doors.

"Hi nerds"


	21. Chapter 21

The idea of throwing Beca a welcome back party came from Cynthia Rose. Beca had been back long enough to convince the black woman that she would stay. When a idea had formed in her head, she had pitched the idea to Fat Amy. Of course, the Australian woman had thought it was a good idea. Out of the Bellas, Fat Amy had forgiven Beca the easiest.

When she knew she had Fat Amy had her back, she went to Stacie, Flo, Jessica and Ashley with the plan of throwing Beca a welcome home party. As the true Bellas they were, they were in for a party.

The was the easiest part. All they now had to do was convincing Chloe, Aubrey, Legacy and Lilly that it was a good way to start rebuilding their relationship with the tiny brunette. They knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince the redhead and the legacy Bella. There was still to much hurt and angry feelings. Plus the two still refused to listen to what their old captain had to say.

Stacie agreed to talk to her wife and get her on their side. If Aubrey was convinced, it would be much easier to convince Chloe. And if Chloe was convinced, they knew that Legacy would follow. But Chloe and Legacy weren't their main concern.

They were most concerned about Lilly. The Asian Bella always had been quiet. They always had to put effort in hearing what she said. The times the Bellas had heard her talk out loud could be counted on one hand. The dead of her son had shut her up completely. Nobody knew what went through her mind. Although Lilly always showed up at every Bella event, they didn't know how she felt about Beca.

Flo who was the closest with Lilly offered to talk with her. Even if she didn't speak, Flo could tell whether or not Lilly liked the idea. After years of being friends they could tell by facial expressions how the other felt about things.

It turned out that they didn't had to worry about the aca moms and their daughter. Out of the blue, they received a message in their group chat about the unexpected family reunion. After that it wasn't hard to convince them to throw Beca a little party. When Lilly didn't seem to have a problem with it either, they went into full party planning mode.

Since Beca's house was the only house to fit them all, they decided to surprise the tiny DJ there. They made a grocery and party supplies list. To throw a party for so many people they needed to carefully organise it. Luckily, Aubrey was a master in planning. She took charge and assigned each of them to a task. She even got the Bella babies involved and let them colour a welcome back banner. When the kids learned about their new long lost aunt, they couldn't wait to meet her.

When they had all the party supplies and they were all free, they decided that tonight was the night to surprise Beca. They had assembled at Emily and Benji's house. From there they divided themselves in two vans and went on their way.

Fat Amy's task was to sent Beca a message when they had arrived. Of course the first message was too weird for Beca to understand. The second message she did understand and they saw her standing behind a window on the first floor. The look on her face was priceless and then she disappeared for a moment. Shortly after the front door opened and Beca came outside to greet them.

To their surprise, Beca didn't go to Chloe first. Instead, she walked straight to Lilly and hugged the quiet woman. A huge smile on the Asian womens face said enough and for the first time in years, the woman spoke. It was only one word and it was a whisper, but they all could clearly heard her saying 'Beca'.

Beca invited them in, and they put all the supplies in the kitchen and fridge. After a proper introduction to the Bella babies, the party was ready to start.

It was like they never had been apart. Everybody was enjoying themselves. They were singing and laughing. They just enjoyed being together and have a good time.

The party was in full swing when the doorbell rang. Not expecting anyone else, Beca opened the door, curious about who it was.

Her heart stopped when she saw two police officers. Her first thought was that something had happened to her father or stepmonster.

The officers explained her that they had come for her. Her rival Jesse Swanson, had filed a complain against her. She had to go to the police station and answer some questions. That was all they wanted to say. Cuffed before the eyes of her friends, the police officers took her away.

Before she got in the car, the short brunette turned to her friends and asked them to contact her father. He would know what to do.

Not knowing what would happen, her friends stayed behind at the music producer's house.


	22. Chapter 22

Jesse Swanson hated Beca Mitchell. Actually he despised her. Years ago they had started their careers at the same producers label. When he set first eyes on her, he immediately fell in love with her.

He had asked het out on a date, but she had refused. She had explained that she was gay. And that was something he couldn't accept. In his eyes, she was perfect for him and he tried to do everything to change her mind.

It didn't help their work relationship and soon she quitted her job and started her own producers label. When their boss had learned what happened, he fired Jesse on the spot. Making sure no other label would hire him.

So he started his own producers label. He could've, no should've been America's most famous music producer, but every time he thought he made it, Beca beated him.

In his eyes, Beca didn't deserve it. He had to admit that she was good at what she did but he did find that he deserved it more.

So he had made it his mission to make things as hard as possible for her. His plan backfired, and he started to loose his clients to his enemy. It wasn't fair that Beca was so successful.

Every moment of his free time he devoted it to learning everything about Beca's life. It wasn't a simple task as the brunette did everything to keep her personal life private.

He was willing to pay a lot of money to anyone who had some relevant information about her. And so he found someone who had been to the same university as her. His informant hated Beca as much as he did and provided him the information he needed.

He learned everything about the Bellas and how things had been at the time. He learned everything about the relationship between a certain Chloe Beale and Beca. His informant told him about the sudden breakup, but had to admit that they didn't know why it had ended so abruptly.

He had now all the information he needed. All he had to do was wait for the right time to use it against her. And then came that live interview, that would became famous.

It was Jesse who tipped the journalist . Just as he thought what would happen, happened. The journalist asked the right questions. He could see her getting uncomfortable. What he didn't expect was that she would break down and run away in the middle of the interview.

It had turned out better as he hoped and he used it in his advantage. Nobody had seen or heard from her ever since.

He waited a little longer before spreading the rumour that she was going to stop and that he would take over her label and clients. It didn't take long before the media picked up the rumours. But neither Beca or her her management confirmed it.

The lack of response, frustrated him. He wanted to destroy her. Destroy every credibility she had build up the last few years. So he did what everyone who was desperate would do.

He filed a complaint against her. He accused her of stealing some of the music he had written. He knew that it couldn't be proofed. And it was a lie, but he hoped that the negative publicity was enough for her and surrender. That she would see that it was for the best that she sold her company to him.

When he heard about her arrest on the radio a couple of days later, Jesse was a happy man.

He didn't know about her renewed friendship with her old friends. He didn't know how loyal they were. He didn't know what they were capable of and that his plan would soon backfire.


	23. Chapter 23

In the back seat of the police car, Beca thought about the events of today. She couldn't understand how such a wonderful night had turned out into a nightmare. The thing she worried most about was the fact she was cuffed in front of the Bella babies.

 _After she had welcomed her friends, she immediately walked over to the only Bella she hadn't spoken to until now._

 _She didn't know what to say to the quiet Bella. What could she possibly say to a woman she had abandoned ten years ago and suffered an unimaginable loss?_

 _For once in her life, she followed her feelings and let go of het hard exterior. She just wrapped her arms around the other woman and roundness just held her tightly, whispering a thousand I'm sorry's in her ear. Lilly returned her hug and wrapped her own arms around Beca._

 _The tiny brunette could hear her friends grasp in shock when they heard Lilly clearly whispering Beca. And for the first time in her life, Beca was grateful to hear the other woman's soft whisper._

 _After the emotional greetings, she welcomed her friends in her house. With Aubrey, Jessica and Ashley immediately asking her where the kitchen was. She showed them the way and they quickly began to put the groceries away._

 _In the meantime, Beca was properly introduced to the Bella babies. Cynthia Rose proudly introduced her two sons Matthew and Samuel and her daughter Erykah to the tiny DJ._

 _Then Stacie introduced her daughter Bella and son Ethan James also known as EJ to her. Then next was Fat Amy who introduced her three sons Treble, Lyric and Rhythm to the brunette._

 _Beca couldn't help but slightly raise her brows when she heard their names. At the other hand she wasn't surprised at all. After all these were the kids of Fat Amy and Bumper. She looked at the three little boys who were a perfect mix of their parents. But unlike their loud parents, the boys were quiet. They looked almost shy._

" _This little angel is Cristina" Flo said as she pointed at the infant on her lap._

 _Beca who wasn't fond of babies couldn't help but stare at the most precious baby she had ever seen. She had to admit that the baby looked cute. Cristina looked like a living doll. She was absolutely perfect and her tiny features showed a striking resemblance to her mother._

 _Since Lilly didn't speak, Donald introduced their son Noah to Beca. The five year old boy had inherited his mother's big eyes and looked at her before grinning widely. She answered his grin with one of her own._

" _These little monkeys are Georgia, Emsley and Julian."_

 _Legacy was the last one to introduce her kids. Beca turned around to her aca daughter and hugged._

 _She couldn't believe it. This morning when she woke up she was just Beca. Now she was an aca aunt and an aca grandmother. This was crazy. She never imagined herself being an aca grandmother at thirty one._

" _Beca do you have a small table for the kids snacks?"_

 _Jessica's voice brought her back to reality. She let go of the tall brunette and turned around to the blonde._

" _I think I have something even better" she said smugly._

 _Confused they all looked at her._

" _Follow me" she said._

 _They were shocked to see the fully furnished playroom. When the children say the room, the rushed inside to explore what they could do. The room was large and one third of it was an indoor playground. The rest of the room could be used to play games or read a book. There was even a children's sized bathroom._

' _No I didn't decorate this. It came with the house when I bought it" she answered the unspoken questions of her friends._

" _It's also hooked up to a security system, so we can watch them from every room in the house" she added._

 _She had given them a tour through her house and as she expected, Legacy went nuts when she saw the indoor recording studio. Beca had promised her that she could use it whenever she wanted to. The same promise she made to Jessica, Ashley and Flo when they saw her ballroom. They thought it was perfect as a dance studio._

 _When the grand tour was over they sat in the living room. Reminiscing old memories and catching up. She had given them all a key to her house, telling them that they could come over whenever they wanted._

 _Chloe had made a group photo and asked to use Beca's printer. She had printed out the photo and hung it on the empty wall, saying this would be the first of new memories they would be creating._

 _The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone had been happy. For the first time Beca felt like she had a home. A home filled with laughter and singing._

Everything had been going so well. Maybe a little bit too well, Beca thought as the car stopped at the police station. When she got out, she was awaited by the paparazzi. Somehow they had known that she was arrested.

The police officers escorted her inside and brought her to an interrogation room. They left her alone and all she could think of what she had done that got her arrested.


	24. Chapter 24

Beca had been in that small interrogation room for over an hour, before someone finally came to inform her why the fuck she was here. She was tired, hungry and still a little bit drunk from the earlier surprise reunion.

"Miss Mitchell, my name is detective Graham. I apologise for keeping you waiting for so long" he started the conversation as he sat down across her.

"Well it's not like I can walk out here when I like" she responded sarcastically.

"I understand" detective Graham said apologetically.

"Can you explain why the fuck I'm here in the first place" Beca asked agitated.

"Do you happen to know a certain Mr Jesse James Swanson?" he asked her.

"Yes, I know him. But what does that have to do anything with why I'm here? I haven't seen of spoken to him in a very long time" she answered confused.

"Well, he filed a complaint against you" the detective said as he looked through a stack of papers.

When Beca heard that, her blood began to boil. She didn't respond. She just waited for what the detective would say next.

"According to Mr Swanson, you used some of the music he wrote without his permission. He states that you used the music he wrote for three songs on the new album you just released" the detective said.

"Really? Did he named any songs specifically?" Beca asked curiously.

"According to Mr Swanson, you used his music for the songs 'Chloe', 'Legacy' and 'Stacie'. I have to inform you that he's planning to press charges against you."

Beca couldn't believe what she just heard. She always had written her own music with the exception of the song that Emily had written when they were in college. She knew Jesse had issues with her because of things that happened between them in the past. But she never thought he would go as far as this.

Suddenly she realised that it must've been him who called the paparazzi that had waiting for her at the police station. She knew that he hoped that she would lose her cool and do something stupid. She wasn't planning to satisfy his sick obsession with her. So she kept quiet and just stared at the detective.

"Miss Mitchell, this is a very serious accusation. Do you have anything to say for yourself that could clear your name?" he asked her.

"No I don't. However I'd like to speak to my lawyer" she said.

"Very well. I hope that you understand that in the meantime you have to stay here" the detective said.

"If you change your mind, you can always ask for me" he said before he left the room.

"Son of a bitch" she said when she was alone again.

All she could do was hope that her friends would call her dad as asked them. Hopefully they were still on her side as she knew she would need her friends more than ever. Hopefully they knew her good enough to know that she would never use anyone's else's music.

 _Beca Mitchell's residence_

 _Chaos had erupted after Beca's sudden arrest. The kids were upset after they had witnessed their newfound aunt's arrest. The Bellas didn't feel any better. They didn't know what to do or think. They couldn't believe that their old friend had done anything that could have her arrested. At the other hand, Beca had been the one that got arrested during their college years and they hadn't seen or spoken to her in ten years._

 _Even though she seemed like the friend she once was they knew people could change. For all they knew she could've lived a criminal life for the past ten years._

 _Even though she had everything against her, they decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and help their old friend. After all, Beca had looked just as surprised as them when they arrested her._

 _Maybe because of her military background or maybe because she was an outsider, but Aubrey stayed surprisingly calm at the situation. Without hesitation she took charge of the situation._

 _The first thing she did was calm down the children and assured them that everything would be fine. She sent them back to the playroom and promised them that she would play with them later. With the children out of the way, she turned her attention back to the Bellas._

" _Does anyone of you know how to contact Mr Mitchell?" she asked them._

" _I do, I kept in touch with Dr. Mitchell every now and then" Chloe confessed._

" _Call him. Explain that Beca is in trouble. Then we'll see how things go from there" Aubrey said._

 _The redhead grabbed her phone and quickly dialed Dr. Mitchell's number. She was relieved when he picked up after the third ring._

" _Dr. Mitchell? It's Chloe Beale. I'm calling you to say that Beca is in big trouble" she immediately said to not waste any more time._

" _I don't know what exactly is going on, but she was arrested less than twenty minutes ago. We don't know why yet, but before they took her away she asked us to call you" the redhead explained quickly._

 _After her phone call, she returned back to the rest of the Bellas. She was just as shocked as the rest of them when she caught the last news on the radio._

 _ **Breaking news!**_

" _ **Beca Mitchell, America's most successful producer just got arrested. According to our anonymous source, miss Mitchell is guilty of piracy. Furthermore our source can tell that she used music written by Jesse Swanson for at least three songs on her new album."**_

" _ **If these accusations are true, there's a chance miss Mitchell has to return her Grammy awards. Whether or not these accusations are true further investigation has to reveal. During the investigations, miss Mitchell has to stay in custody of the police."**_


	25. Chapter 25

Jesse couldn't hide his smile when he heard the news. To his surprise, his evil plan was working better than he ever could imagine. Ever since Beca's album had been released, he had been working on a plan to destroy her.

He knew his accusations were bullshit and that they couldn't arrest her for that, but then again he had found a way to make it happen.

He had to admit that he wouldn't have pulled it of without the help of his step brother Joseph Graham. It had cost him a lot of money to persuade Joseph to help him but seeing the results now, he was convinced that it was worth every dollar he had spent.

Together with his step brother he hadmade some false documents to support his accusations. When they had been satisfied with what they've made, his brother had gone to the two police officers that would arrest that annoying brunette.

Since no one knew anything about their family connection, he wasn't afraid that someone would find out what was really going on. Until two years ago, Jesse hadn't even know that he had a step brother. If he hadn't read his dead mothers diary, he would never have found out about it himself.

But he had. He had spent a lot of energy to hunt his step brother down. When he found out that Joseph was a detective in Beca's hometown, he had been planning this.

It wasn't his fault that Beca didn't know anything about the law. He had waited for the perfect time to activate his plan. So when his brother had called him that they were about to arrest Beca he went on with the second part of his plan.

A simple anonymous phone call to different papers and magazines were enough for the paparazzi to go to the police station. Of course the earlier rumours he had spread had helped the case.

But what ultimately helped him was that he had found an washed up singer that would help him out by playing the anonymous source. Ian Fletcher had been a forgotten child star with a messed up career after years of alcohol abuse. He had promised Ian a new career if he would help him out. The singer immediately agreed.

All he have to do now was waiting for Beca to lose her shit and do something stupid. He knew her well enough to know that sooner or later she would break. When that would happen, her music label would be his.

He already enjoyed the idea that she would lose everything she had worked for. Finally he would get what should've been his.

It was her own fault that this was happening to her. If she hadn't been such a bitch and had gone on one date with him, all of this wouldn't be happening. But she had rejected him. Nobody had ever rejected him. And it had hurt his ego when she had done that. For him it was enough reason to destroy her.

Somebody needed to put her back in her place. Since nobody else did it, he took it upon himself to be that somebody.

He found it was him who deserved to be were she was in life. With his plan nobody would ever find out what he did. Finally he would have what was rightfully his.

The smile on his face quickly faded when an unknown scary Asian looking woman suddenly appeared before him. How she managed to sneak in puzzled him. He hadn't noticed the door to his office being opened or seeing someone come in.

"Who are you and how did you come in" he asked shocked.

"I'm your worst nightmare" the woman whispered.

Suddenly he felt cold inside. The look on the woman's face scared the shit out of him and he didn't know what to do and his previously victorious feeling disappeared instantly.


	26. Chapter 26

They were all awfully quiet after hearing the news on the radio. Something was wrong with what they've heard. The Beca they knew would never use someone's music without their permission. If she would use someone else's music, she certainly would credit them for it.

Even if she had changed the past ten years, it still was a very unlikely thing she would do.

"You're all aware that this whole story is bullshit, right?"

Donalds voice broke the silence in the room.

He could feel them staring at him. Each and everyone looked at him with the same burning question.

"What do you mean? We know you are a lawyer, but we aren't. So please explain" Cynthia Rose said.

"That shit they just said on the radio" he clarified.

"These are only allegations. Nothing more. If they want to arrest her for something like this, they need more than some accusations. They need solid evidence. You can't arrest someone based on what someone says."

"If Beca really had used Mr Swanson's music without his permission, he would've done something immediately after her album was released."

"But he didn't do that, and I'm curious as why he waited so long with his accusations" he explained.

"It does sound logic what he says" Aubrey admitted.

"If I remember correctly, there was an interview years ago where Mr Swanson talked a lot of shit about Beca" she added.

"I know for sure she didn't do it and that Jesse tries to frame her" Emily said suddenly.

"How do you know that for sure?" Fat Amy wanted to know.

"Do you remember your senior year?" the legacy Bella asked them.

"Of course we do. Sometimes you are really dumb" Fat Amy reacted.

"Well, then you should've known that she didn't do it" Emily shot back.

"Legacy is right" Ashley said suddenly.

The rest of the Bellas looked confused at them. They didn't understand what their friends meant.

"Before we used 'Flashlight', Beca wrote a couple of songs. Remember when she had to come up with something original to proof that she could do more than just mash ups?" Ashley asked them.

"Yeah, we do. Beca was on the verge of a breakdown back then. Those were times" Stacie said.

"Exactly. Beca wrote a few melodies. And they are the same as at least five of the songs she used on her album" Emily said.

"Are you sure?" Flo asked.

"Of course, I'm sure. I remembered because I tried to write some songs for her, using those melodies. Something was off with the music she wrote and it didn't work out. That's why we recorded 'Flashlight' instead" the youngest Bella said.

"If it's true what you say, Beca is innocent" Chloe said excitingly.

"It's true what she says. And I can proof it" Lilly whispered.

"How?" Jessica asked.

"You all remember how I used to sneak on you and I used my camera to film you? That's how I always knew everything and scared the shit out of you. I still have those recordings" the normally quiet Bella said now clearly.

"I'm going over there and bring Beca back" Donald said.

"I'm going with you. Can you drop me off at home before you go? Lilly asked her husband.

"I suppose a little delay couldn't hurt. Can you watch Noah until we get back?" Donald asked the rest of them.

"No problem. We still have to be here because we have to wait until Dr. Mitchell is here" Chloe said.

Fifteen minutes after Donald and Lilly had left, Dr. Mitchell and Sheila arrived.

"I'm so glad you called me" he said after they sat down.

"On our way here we heard the news. I'm positive Beca didn't do anything they said. She and Jesse had some problems in the past. I guess he still hold some grudges" Dr. Mitchell said.

"We know she didn't do anything they said. As a matter of fact, our friend Donald who's a lawyer, is on his way to get Beca out of there" Chloe informed them.

 _Interrogation room 4_

 _Beca was surprised when a police officer told her that her lawyer was here. She hadn't been given the chance to call him yet. Perhaps her father had called him. If that was the case, it meant that the Bellas supported her and did what she asked them._

 _Her surprise was even bigger when she saw Donald enter the room instead of Mr Hatfield her usual lawyer._

" _Donald? What are you doing here?" she asked the old Treblemaker confused._

" _I'm here to get you out" he said._

" _You're a lawyer?" she asked him._

" _Yes, I am. But let's talk about that later. First things first. Let's just get you out of here and later we can talk about this" he answered her question._

" _Detective Graham told me I have to stay here for the time being" she said._

" _Beca, they have no reason to hold you here. It's just allegations, there's no poof. If they want to keep you here, they need more than just Mr Swanson's accusations" he clarified._

" _For the record, I didn't do any of those things Jesse accuses me of" she said._

" _I know that. And the Bellas know that too. And they can proof your innocence. Let's talk about that later. First I'm going to request for your immediate release okay" he said._

" _It seems like we have a lot to talk about later" she replied dryly._

" _We do. Now I'm going to get you out" he said._

 _When she was alone again, she said a quick prayer. She was thankful that she hads had such loyal friends even though she hadn't exactly been loyal to them for the past ten years. She couldn't believe that they still got her back but she was happy they did._

 _About fifteen minutes later Donald returned with detective Graham._

" _Miss Mitchell, you're free to go. I have to inform you that you can't leave the state and if we have more questions regarding this case we expect you to be available" the detective said._

" _I will" she said._

" _Uhmm, maybe it's a good idea to leave at the back. There's a lot of reporters at the main entrance that like to get a glimpse of you" he said suddenly._

" _Thank you, I really appreciate this gesture" she said._

" _Let's get you home" Donald said as he opened the back door for her._

 _Relieved that she was free again, she put on her sunglasses before following her old college friend to his car._


	27. Chapter 27

Beca was relieved that she finally sat in the passengers seat of Donald's car. She was beyond tired and today's events had worn her out both mentally and physically.

Bit she still wanted to use this moment of peace to talk to Donald. She knew she wouldn't get the chance when they arrived at her house.

"Thank you for getting me out of jail today. I really appreciate it" she said.

"No problem. That's what friends are for" he responded simply.

"Yeah, about that. I'm sorry that I've been a shitty friend to you. Well to all of you really. And I'm so sorry that I wasn't there when you needed me the most" she said.

"Don't worry about that, Beca. I'm sure you had your reasons for doing what you did. I'm not someone who's going to judge you for that. I mean, look who I share my life with. Besides, you're here now. You've found your way back to us and that's all that really matters" Donald said sincerely.

Donald's honest answer moved her. She was really lucky to have such forgiving friends.

"So you and Lilly huh? You are a great couple, but I was wondering why the two of you never got married. Not that it's any of my business of course" she said.

"It's just something we never talked about. It's fine the way it is. We both never felt the need to have a piece of paper to refer to confirm what our hearts already felt. She is my wife and I'm her husband. Being officially married doesn't change that fact. And then the thing with Henry happened. After that we didn't feel like a party or making things official. And now we have Noah. And things are finally getting the way they're supposed to be" he explained.

His honest words really hit her and she couldn't agree more so she just nodded. He was absolutely right and he could've had said it any better.

"Why don't you take a nap? We still have twenty minutes before we arrive at your house. I can tell that your tired and we both know that everyone will be waiting for you and ask questions" he said with a smile.

"Maybe that's a good idea. I am tired. Today's events really worn me out" she answered.

"Go take a nap. I will wake you when we get there" he promised.

True to his words, he woke her up a block before her street.

Just as Donald predicted, the whole gang was still present to await her arrival.

"Welcome back Shawshank" Fat Amy screamed excitingly as she entered her living room.

The sight of them waiting for her brought back a flood of memories from her college years, and she couldn't help but grin at them.

"Seriously Ames, don't you think it's time for a new nickname?" she asked her friend amused.

"Not as long as you keep getting arrested" the Australian woman answered.

They spent the next hour talking about what happened after Beca was arrested. The Bellas explained her how they could tell she was innocent and Beca was amazed by Legacy and Ashley's memories. And of course, the fact that Lilly had it all on film.

"Speaking of Lilly, does anybody have seen her after I dropped her off at home?" Donald asked them.

None of them had and Donald just shrugged.

"I guess she's up to something. I'll guess I see her at home when she done" he said.

Knowing Lilly the way they did, they were sure she was already at home. Or she would disappear for a couple of days and would be showing up like nothing had happened.

Although Beca was glad to have her friends around, she was tired and could barely keep her eyes open.

Chloe seemed to sense her tiredness and since it was well past the children's bedtime, she gestured that they would leave her so she could sleep.

Grateful she smiled at the redhead and mouthed a thanks.

Dr. Mitchell, Sheila, Donald and Noah were the first one to leave, followed by Jessica, Ashley and Flo.

After Fat Amy gathered her dogs from the garden and Bumper had collected their kids, they left too.

Cynthia Rose, Emily, Benji and their kids left together because they had arrived together earlier that day.

When Aubrey finished cleaning up the mess, she and Stacie and the kids were ready to go, leaving Chloe to be the last one to stay behind.

The redhead wanted to talk to Beca privately. Beca didn't mind cause she had wanted to talk to her old girlfriend too. She wanted to ask why the redhead had disappeared and suddenly had reappeared in the garden of her renovation project.

"If you want you can stay the night. I've got plenty of spare bedrooms you can choose from" Beca said suddenly nervous.

"I think that's a good idea" Chloe replied equally nervous.

"Let's change into something comfortable. I think I might have something that fits you" Beca said.

"You kept my pajamas all those years?" Chloe asked surprised after Beca handed them to her.

"I just couldn't throw them away" Beca said.

"Becs, that's so sweet. You know those were my favourite pajamas."

"I know. That's why I couldn't throw them away."

Beca showed Chloe the bathroom is she could change her outfit and clean off her makeup. When they were both changed into their pajamas, they headed back to the living room.

Both nervous but ready for their much needed conversation they installed themselves on the couch.


	28. Chapter 28

Jesse Swanson was scared. Three hours had past since the scary Asian woman had appeared in his office.

Besides whispering to him that she was his worst nightmare, she hadn't said a word. She had made it more comfortable for herself and sat cross legged on his desk across him.

She hadn't threatened him in any way but he was still scared to move. It had everything to do with the big eyes that were looking at him. It was like those eyes were burning a hole in his soul. Like those eyes were reading him and be capable to find every dark secret he had buried inside of him. That scared him the most. He had a lot of dark secrets that nobody could ever find out about.

Somehow he had a feeling she already knew everything. He started to feel more and more uncomfortable and unsure about himself.

Should he offer her a drink to lighten the mood a little? Or was she waiting until he finally broke and spill all his secrets to her? He didn't know what it was she exactly wanted.

It was hard to tell what she was thinking of. Her face didn't show any signs of emotions. Only that black eyes that stared at him. Eyes he was sure of that would hound him in his sleep for the rest of his life. That he was sure of.

And then all of a sudden she dissappear. He didn't even see her move. It was just like she vaporised into thin air. He was sure he hadn't fall asleep or that he blinked his eyes.

Suddenly his office felt like it always had and he started to question himself. Was he beginning to get paranoid? Was he seeing things that weren't real?

He looked around his office but didn't see anything that showed proof that the woman had been here. Confusion took over and he shook his head. He probably had fallen asleep and just had a weird dream.

He grabbed his phone and was shocked to see that he had more than fifty missed calls from his step brother. He looked again at his phone screen and froze when he looked at the time. He just missed six hours of the day.

He didn't believe anymore that he just had fallen asleep. If he just had been sleeping, the ringing of his phone should've had woken him up. That meant that the woman had been here. That everything he could remember from the past six hours had been real. Those eyes really had stared at him. But why had he thought that it only had lasted three hours? What the hell had happened during those other three hours?

As hard as he tried to remember what happened he just couldn't.

Since it clearly had no use to think about it any longer, he decided to call Joseph back. He was curious about what was so urgent that his brother had called him more that fifty times.

That uneasy feeling had returned after he hung up with his brother.

Beca Mitchell was free. Not only she was free again, suddenly she was represented by a lawyer that apparently knew her very well. A lawyer who was planning to file charges against him for false accusations. According to his brother, the lawyer had said he would be contact him.

He didn't try to think about what kind of consequences this would have for him if his nasty plan came out. He just hoped that if he dropped the charges against her, this would be over. He couldn't use a new player in the game he specifically designed for that bitch. He needed to think about a backup plan to get out of this mess. He needed someone to blame so he could keep his credibility.

His plan immediately disappeared to the background as he stepped out his office and saw his car. Or actually what was left of his car. His car was completely burned down. But the most scary part of it was that the remains of his car were neatly wrapped in a black bow.

Unconsciously, his first thought was of the woman with the black eyes. If it was her plan to scare the shit out of him, her plan was working.

Suddenly the roles were reversed. Now it was him who had to fight a enemy without knowing why.


	29. Chapter 29

"So are you going to tell me why you disappeared for a week?" Beca asked Chloe when they laying comfortable on Beca's couch.

"I didn't dissappear. I was just at my family's lake house" Chloe answered.

"Okay, why didn't you tell anyone where you went?" Beca asked.

"I told them I needed some time alone. If they had used their heads, they would've known were I was. The past few years I went there when I needed some time for myself" the redhead said slightly irritated.

"Why did you need some time for yourself?" Beca asked curious.

"After our conversation, I needed some time to process things."

Beca nodded understanding and didn't ask further. If Chloe was ready she would talk.

"I've been so mad at you for years. I was so upset after you left. For the past ten years I've asked myself every day what I did wrong. What I could have done to prevent this. What I should've done."

"And then you showed up out of nowhere. Buying a house anonymous. It was to much for me to handle. When I finally found the strength to listen to you, I didn't expect to hear the reasons you had for leaving."

"Then I started to think. Knowing that this all could have been prevented if you just had talked to me."

"Knowing now made me realise we could've have it all. By now we could've been married. We could've had our own family. A house with a white fence, a dog and our 2.5 kids. Coming home to a family. I just started to think about what we missed out on. And that was more than I could take. That's why I left" Chloe said almost in tears.

Beca didn't know how to respond to Chloe's confession. She hadn't thought about those things at the time. All she had thought about all those years ago was that she had to leave. That she had to protect herself against a broken heart.

"I'm so so sorry for everything I put you through" she only said.

"Well, there's nothing we can't change about it anymore" the redhead responded.

None of them knew what to say next, so they just sat there in comfortable silence. They both realised that they needed more than just this conversation to fix everything that happened.

Unbeknown to each other, they were both willing to give everything that would be needed to fix this. They both still loved each other. They still wanted each other. But they both knew that they needed to fix everything before they could pick things up where they left all those years ago.

Exhausted, they decided that it was probably for the best that they went to sleep. They could talk tomorrow and the rest of their lives. But for know they both needed to rest. Process the things they had talked about. At least they made a start to make things right again between them.

Laying in her bed, Beca couldn't help but think at the idea how her life could've been if she stayed.

Hoe her life would've been if she and Chloe would've married. Then they would've been together in her big bed right now. She wondered how things would've been if they had kids running through the house. She imagined mini redheads chasing their dog. Their kids would've been growing up with their nieces and nephews.

With the Bellas as their crazy aunts, probably spoiling them and teaching them things that Beca probably would be against.

Her life would've been better if she had made the right decisions all those years ago. Now it was to late.

With a feeling of regret of her bad decisions, Beca finally fell asleep.

Across the hall, Chloe had similar thoughts. Only in her imagination, their kids would've been mini versions of the woman she still loved with all her heart.

Confessing how she had felt, had lifted a weight from her shoulders. And she hoped that it wasn't to late to turn her dreams into reality. Although she knew it would take a lot of time and effort to fix this. Those ten years weren't erased instantly because they had a good conversation. They both needed to work hard to trust each other again.

With that thought in the back of her mind, the redhead fell asleep.


	30. Chapter 30

_Donald sighed. Today he had an appointment with Jesse Swanson and his lawyer. He hoped he could arrange a settlement out of court. Hw hoped Mr. Swanson would be cooperative. All he wanted was to clear Beca's name and reputation._

 _He had a feeling that Mr. Swanson would cooperate. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that his life partner Lilly had something to do with it. After disappearing for hours she had came home, smelling like gasoline and fire. With that same satisfied look in her eyes she always had when she had done something that was justice in her mind._

 _He was glad that she found her voice back, but sometimes he wished that she would use that same voice to tell him what she's been up to._

 _Knowing her, he knew she paid Mr. Swanson a visit. Every time he tried to discuss it with her, she avoided the topic._

" _You're a lawyer. You represent Beca. I can't tell you what I've done" she had simply answered._

 _He knew she was right. Being a lawyer meant that he had to stay on the good side of the law. The same law that didn't mean a thing to his life partner. As a lawyer he was supposed to go to the police when he had an idea that someone had done something illegal. But how could he when it was his was his life partner who was involved? Lilly had gone through so much the past few years, and she was on her road to recovery. He didn't have the heart to take that away from her by going to the police._

 _He always had known that she did things that were questionable, but she never was caught for everything she had done._

 _He didn't even want to think about the things she was capable of. She had a dark side that no one could reach. A dark side full of things no one even could imagine. Not even the Bellas. Sure they all had their suspicions about what she was capable of, but they didn't know exactly what those things were._

 _He tied his tie and sighed again. He kissed his son and Lilly goodbye and head out the door to his appointment._

Beca Mitchell's Mansion

"Did you sleep well?"

Beca asked Chloe the next morning when they were having breakfast. The redhead, who was lost in her own thoughts didn't respond to the question.

One look at her and Beca knew that something was bothering her. They hadn't spoke in ten years, but Beca still could read the other woman like a book.

"Chloe, are you okay?" she asked a bit louder this time.

The redhead seemed to break out of whatever bubble she had been in.

"Huh, what did you say?" she asked.

"I asked if you slept well and if you're okay" Beca said.

"I'm fine" the redhead said quickly.

Her answer was to quickly and Beca knew she was holding back something.

"But?" she asked looking the redhead directly in the eye.

"It just… Well never mind" Chloe said.

"You know you can ask me everything, you know?" Beca tried again.

"After our conversation, I kept thinking about how things would have been if things went differently. Like would we still be together? Would we have had kids?" the redhead said carefully.

When she heard the redheads questions, Beca couldn't help but laugh. Confused at her reaction, Chloe looked at her.

"When I lay on my bed last night, I asked myself the same thing. How different things could've been if I just talked to you."

"I imagined how my life, our life would've been. You and me living together in this house. It would've been a home and not just a house like it is now. I imagined how you would've decorated it here with totally ridiculous colours, but somehow it would fit. I could see how this house would be full of life with the Bellas barging in. I imagined our kids, at least four little redheads, running through the house chasing our dog. I could see our kids growing up with their cousins. The Bellas spoiling our kids and teaching them the most inappropriate things. But it would've been perfect" Beca finished explaining.

Not sure how to react to all that, Chloe just looked at her. Her smile growing wider and wider. She didn't know it but the redhead had been having the same thoughts as she. Only the redhead had imagined little versions of the tiny brunette running around.

Suddenly, Beca realised that this dream was still what she wanted. She still wanted to share her life with the redhead. Having those kids and dog running around the house.

"Is it to late to try again and make those dreams a reality?" she asked the redhead softly.


	31. Chapter 31

" _Is it to late to try again and make those dreams a reality?"_

The question lingered in the air as she didn't respond immediately.

Although there was nothing more in the world she wanted than to try again with Beca, it wasn't that easy. Only the Lord knew how often she had thought about that idea.

Yeah, they still had that same connection and chemistry after ten years of not seeing each other, but she had to be realistic. Their relationship was still under construction and Beca had hurt her deeply with her actions ten years ago. It was something she couldn't forget that easily, even though she still loved the tiny brunette more than everything. They just couldn't pick up were they left. There were still so many things they needed to talk about.

"Beca, as much as I want to try again, it's to soon. We're still rebuilding our relationship. It's just to soon. You really hurt me bad and it's not something I just can forget" the redhead said softly.

"I know. All I ask from you, is to give it a chance. Give us a chance" the brunette said.

"I suppose that's fair" she agreed.

They dropped the topic and finished their breakfast, both deep in their own thoughts.

Later that night, when she was back at her own place, Chloe replayed the conversation in her head. Asking herself for the thousandth time if she made the right decision.

Beca had been more open than she had been ten years ago. She now talked about her emotions and the things that bothered her. But what if it was only for the moment, just to get her back? What if she would slip back in her old habits of not talking when they were in a relationship again?

She knew she needed to stop thinking about the what ifs. It only made her insecure. Nobody could tell how things would work out. Only time would tell. She decided to follow her feelings and stick to the decision she made earlier that day.

 _Beca Mitchell's Mansion_

 _For the first time in years Beca felt truly relaxed and relieved. Her alone time with Chloe had gone better than she had expected._

 _The redheads answer wasn't exactly what she had wanted, but it was a start. This time she wouldn't mess things up. From now on she would talk when something bothered her. Chloe gave her a second chance and that was more than she deserved._

 _She knew she had a lot to rebuild. Not only with Chloe but with the other Bellas as well. And then there was Aubrey. Stacie's wife may had act civil towards her, but she knew she had to do more to earn the blondes respect and trust. It wasn't an easy task, but she would do everything she could to show her that she meant what she said._

 _She needed to go to bed but she was to restless to go to sleep. Today's emotions had a deep impact on her and she needed to release it before she could sleep._

 _For the first time in months she found her way to her recording studio. Just thinking about Chloe and the Bellas had inspired her to compose again. Being surrounded by her weird but trustworthy friends made her want to make music again._

 _In the past music had been her first love and she always had thought it would be her only and last love. Being reunited with her oldest friends had changed that feeling completely. After all those years she realised how wrong and lonely she had been._

 _Music ran through her veins but it were her friends that hold her together. Without them she had never came that far. Without Chloe's undying support in the past she would never had believed in herself._

 _With Chloe in her mind she started to make music bothering to keep track of time, she worked to perfection the beat that had been playing in het head since Chloe had left earlier that day._

 _When she did look at the clock when she was finished, it was four o'clock in the morning. Tired but satisfied she went to her bed. Hopefully things would go better from now on._


	32. Chapter 32

_It's still dark outside when the little girl wakes up. Beyond excitement she climbs out of her bed. Peeking through the curtains she knows it's to early to wake her moms or little brother. It doesn't bother her at all. Today it's her birthday. She doesn't know what kind of party her mommies planned for her, but she knows it will be a great party. The only thing she knows is that it somewhere else and that she will be seeing all her aunts, uncles and cousins. Probably her grandparents too._

 _She keeps looking through the window and watches the sun come up. When it's finally light outside, she leaves her room to find her mommies._

" _Wake up! It's my birthday!" she yells excited as she jumps on the bed._

The house on Hope Lane

All the Bellas had shown up at Beca's now finished renovation project. They wouldn't miss the little girls eight birthday for the world. She was the first one to be born in their makeshift family after they had finished college.

They couldn't hold back their smiles when they saw the expression on the little girls face when she entered the house. Bella's face had lit up when she noticed all her aunts already waiting for her. Her smile had grown even wider when she had seen the stack of gifts piled up on the table, waiting for her to be ripped open.

To Aubrey and Stacie's surprise, Beca had hired enough waiting staff to cater to everyone's need. Besides Bella's birthday cake, there was a second cake in the shape of the Bellas logo. The tiny DJ must've arranged that too.

So far the little girls birthday party was going smoothly. Still there was something missing. Or rather someone. The famous DJ wasn't there. It was an understatement that the Bellas were disappointed. They didn't understand why. If Beca could open her house to them and hire staff, why didn't she show up?

Sure she didn't like to be surrounded by a lot of people, but they weren't some random people. They were here family. She had promised the the little girl she would be here on the big day, and now she didn't even bothered to show up.

Chloe had tried to call the tiny brunette, but Beca didn't answered any of her calls. The rest of the Bellas texted her. But none of them received an answer. It was strange but they decided they wouldn't let it ruin the little girls birthday party.

"Mommy, when do I get to blow out the candles and make my wish?" the little girl asked Stacie impatient.

"I think now is the right time, sweetie" Stacie said as she kissed her daughter on her cheek.

They had been waiting for a sign of Beca, but she still wasn't here. They couldn't delay it any further so Aubrey gathered everyone around the table with Bella's giant pink cake on it. When everyone was present she lit the candles. But before the little girl could blow them, they needed to sing happy birthday to her.

They started the birthday song when a voice suddenly joined them. It was a voice everyone recognised, but it wasn't Beca who joined them.

Surprised they all turned into the direction of the voice when a second voice joined them. There was Beca singing alongside that other famous voice.

The song finished and the little girl didn't waste any time to blow out the candles and make her birthday wish.

While Aubrey and Stacie cut the cake, the little girl went to hug the aunt she didn't really know well. To the little girl it didn't matter she didn't know her well. Her mommy had told her about aunt Beca. Even though her aunt hadn't been present most of her life, it still was her aunt.

"Hey little Legs, happy birthday" the tiny DJ said as she returned the little girls hug.

"I'm sorry for missing the start of your party. But I want to introduce you to a special friend of mine" Beca said as she turned to the woman next to her.

"Happy birthday Bella. I heard you were a huge fan, so when your auntie asked me to come to your party, I couldn't say no. Are you having a good time?"


	33. Chapter 33

_Beca hadn't been so nervous since she the day that she had seen Chloe again. Together with her famous friend, she had hid upstairs in one of the rooms. They had waited till the right moment to make their presence known._

 _She hoped her friends weren't pissed that she missed the beginning of the party. Because she knew that this party was one of the only chances she would get to proof her friends that she was here to stay._

 _After thinking for weeks of what to get the birthday girl, she had came up with this plan. Luckily for her, her friend had agreed to do this for her. Her friend knew how much the Bellas meant to her. She had only been telling her friend for at least the past five years how stupid she had been and how much she had missed them._

Ashamed of her previous thoughts about Beca, the redhead stood in a corner of the room. A wide smile formed when she saw the brunette she adored so much interact with the birthday girl.

Of all people, she should've known that Beca wouldn't forget the little girls birthday. She should've had known that Beca wasn't somebody who broke any promises she made. Yet, she had doubted the DJ when she hadn't seen her at the party and she felt horrible about it. At the same time, she realised that she made the right decision about her situation with Beca.

There was still so much they needed to work on if they wanted to be back together and make it work. This action made her realise that Beca had meant it when she said that she was back to stay.

Chloe was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't even noticed she wasn't alone anymore.

"You must be Chloe."

The famous voice shook her out her thoughts and suddenly she didn't know how to respond.

She still couldn't believe that the famous singer was in the same room as her. That such a famous singer would even talk to her.

"Yes, I am" she said not daring to look at the artist next to her.

"You can look at me. I promise I won't bite" the singer said.

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe it you're here" the redhead said.

"Well, you better believe it because I'm here to stay until the party is over" the singer said with her trademark smile.

Before she could respond to that, Beca came over with the rest of the Bellas in tow.

"Girls, I want you to introduce to my special friend, Alecia" the tiny brunette said with a grin.

After everybody was formally introduced, the singer looked directly at Beca.

"You were right. They are incredible. You should be ashamed of yourself for not making it up to them earlier" the famous singer said.

"You mean Shawshank told you about us?" Fat Amy asked.

"Talk about you? In the five years I know her, she wouldn't shut up about you. Her office is decorated with photos of you."

That answer made Beca blush and she looked everywhere except at her friends.

"And you were right about her" the singer added as she pointed to Chloe.

"What exactly did she say about me" Chloe wanted to know.

"Oh nothing special. She just wouldn't shut up about the fact how sweet, beautiful and caring she thinks you are."

Mortified Beca blushed even more. Leave it to her friend to spill the secrets she told her all those years ago in confidence.

"Excuse me, but I have to see what my daughter is up to" the famous singer said.

"So that little girl is yours? We were already wondering where she came from" Aubrey said.

"If you are looking for her, she's with the other kids playing" Stacie said.

"I can't believe how you pulled this of" Cynthia Rose voiced what everyone else was thinking.

"Well, I had something to make up. I missed so much the passed ten years. Chloe once mentioned that Bella was a huge fan of her and I didn't know what else to get her" Beca said sheepishly.

"Thank you Beca. I'm positive Bella will never forget this party" Aubrey said.

When everyone had finished their cake and the gifts were unpacked, it was time for karaoke. No matter what kind of party the Bellas had, it wasn't complete without karaoke. It was the only thing Beca hadn't missed. She wasn't very fond of it yet she had participated at every Bella karaoke party.

Since this was a kids birthday, they were only child friendly songs they could choose from. The birthday girl was the first one to sing. She rocked it and it was clearly she inherited her moms musical genes.

The rest of the Bellas and Trebles took their turns and it even though it was child friendly, Beca couldn't shake the feeling she was back in college.

She tried to get out of it but unfortunately for her, she couldn't. Her famous friend told her she personally picked a song for her and she dreaded her turn. She knew her friend a bit too well and she just knew she would've picked a song that would embarrass her.

When the she saw the title of the song that was picked out for her, she knew she had to avoid eye contact with Chloe when she sang it.


	34. Chapter 34

When the first notes of Titanium started to play, Beca shot Alecia a deathly glare. The famous singer knew the story behind the song and Beca was positive that's why she had choosen 0that song for her.

She avoided looking at the redhead because she knew that she wouldn't be able to finish the song if she did that. She made the mistake to look at Stacie instead. The tall brunette winked at her and she started to blush.

She didn't know how she's done it, but somehow she managed to finish the song without any incidents.

"Aunt Beca, why were you blushing when you sang that song?" the birthday girl asked her innocently.

The little girls question made her blush again and Beca didn't know how to weasle her way out of answering it.

The little girl looked expectantly at her and the moment she came up with an plausible explanation, they were distracted by Alecia who had grabbed the microphone and started to belt out one of her own songs together with her daughter Willow. Soon the question was forgotten and they all enjoyed their private concert.

After they finished singing, Fat Amy declared that it was time to eat, claiming that she was starved. They agreed that they all could some food. They quickly set up to tables. One for the kids and the other for the adults.

It was a casual atmosphere, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. They were laughing and talking. They remembered and sang. They cried and enjoyed their food and each others company. Surprisingly, Alecia fitted perfectly in and it was just like they were friends for years who enjoyed a casual dinner.

For the first time in ten years Beca was truly happy. She was surrounded by all her friends. Everyone was having a good time and she loved every moment of it. With a grin on her face she looked around the table and memorised the happy faces of her friends. This was a moment she never wanted to forget.

Her breath hitched when she caught the redheads expression. She had never seen Chloe as happy as today. She had a brighter smile than she had ever had in college and she looked absolutely stunning.

When their eyes met, everything around Beca went silent. All she could see was the beautiful woman across her. The beautiful redhead who captured her heart years ago and still owned it completely. The moment she looked in those beautiful blue eyes, Beca vowed to herself she would do absolutely everything she could to get her back. She promised herself right there that she would never hurt Chloe again.

It was like Chloe could feel what she was promising herself, because she looked at her with that knowingly look. That same look she always used in college.

She was brought back to reality when somebode krpt tapping her shoulder. She looked to her right, only to see Cynthia Rose grinning at her. The rest of the table burst out in laughter after seeing her bewildered expression.

"Huh?" she said confused.

"Never mind" the African American Bella said with a smile.

Alecia and her daughter were the last one to leave. Beca locked the door and the rest of them were putting the Bella babies to bed. When the kifs wete down for the night, hey had talked for a while. They all agreed that today had been a new start for them as Bella.

After saying their good night's, they retreated to their own rooms. Since most of them had partners, Beca and Chloe ended up sharing a room and a bed together.

When they were changed into their pajamas, they went to bed. Instinctively they snuggled up. Tonight didn't feel like they had been apart for so long.

Silently they just looked at each other. Just like old times, Chloe's soft fingers started to trace the lines of Beca's face. Chloe's touch left behind a tingling sensation on her skin.

She let out a soft moan. Soft lips touched her own and they started to kiss. It started softly but it ended passionate and full of promises for the future.

The long day, the emotions and their make out session had tired them out. Wrapped up in each others arms they fell asleep.

At three in the morning they whole house was woken up by a blood-curdling scream...


	35. Chapter 35

"What the hell was that?" Beca asked half asleep.

Before Chloe could answer, a second blood-curdling scream echoed through the house. Both Beca and Chloe's maternal instincts kicked in when they recognised Legacy as the one who was screaming.

They hurried out of their room and saw the rest of the Bellas already standing in the hallway.

"What the fuck is happening?" Beca asked as they all ran to Legacy's room.

Afraid of what they would find, Chloe carefully opened the door to Legacy's bedroom.

Nobody was prepared for what they found when they entered the room.

Legacy who was eight and a half months pregnant was in full labour. A shocked Benji sat behind his wife and tried to comfort her and guiding her through the contractions the best he could.

Immediately, Chloe and Beca rushed toward their aca child. They took place beside the youngest Bella to support Benji in comforting her.

"Somebody call 911!"

"Yeah, I don't think they make it in time. The baby is coming like right now" Legacy said in between her contractions.

Chloe was the first one to regain her calmness and started to yell instructions.

"Aubrey, call an ambulance."

"Jessica and Ashley, go check on the kids. If they're awake, make sure that they go back to sleep."

"Cynthia Rose and Flo, go and see if you can find any towels!"

Calm like there was nothing going on, Aubrey called 911 for an ambulance.

Stacie, the only one with medical knowledge, went into doctor mode and checked on Legacy and coached her through the delivery.

Lilly and Fat Amy, the only two when weren't given any instructions just stood there frozen not really realising what was going on.

When they were sure the kids were still asleep, Jessica and Ashley returned to Legacy's room. Shortly after, Cynthia Rose and Flo came back with some towels.

From that momrnt everything happened fast and with all the Bellas present in the room, Legacy gave birth to her baby.

For a moment it was silent and then the babies first cry echoed through the room.

She quickly checked if the baby was okay.

"It's a boy" she said before she wrapped the baby in the towel that Cynthia Rose handed her.

Instead of placing the baby on his mother's chest, she passed him to Ashley who was the closest to her.

"Uh Legacy, you're not ready. I think there's another one" Stacie said.

"What?! This can't be true. The ultrasound showed only one baby" Emily protested.

But Stacie was right and for the second time that morning, the Bellas witnessed how Legacy delivered her baby.

This time it took some time before the baby started to cry. Stacie immediately started to clear the babies airway and finally they heard a loud cry.

Relieved that the baby was breathing she checked if everything was alright.

"It's a girl" she said and wrapped het in a towel.

Then she placed the baby on het mother's chest m Ashley followed her example and placed the firstborn in Benji's arms.

There wasn't time to congratulate the new parents because that moment the paramedics arrived.

Without wasting any time they put Legacy and the babies on a stretcher. Benji went with his wife in the ambulance.

Still in awe about what just happened the rest of the Bellas stayed behind.

"That was aca amazing!"

They filled Donald and Bumper in about what happened. Somehow they had managed to sleep through all the commotion. When they assured them they would stay behind to be with the kids, the Bellas dressed themselves and rushed to the hospital.

On the maternity ward, they were greated by an excited and glowing Benji.

"Is everything okay with Legacy? Are the babies okay?"

"Guys, Emily is fine. The babies are fine. They are a little to small but they're otherwise healthy" Benji answered their questions.

"Can we see her?" Beca wanted to know.

She hadn't been there when Emily had needed her the most. Now she was here and all she wanted was to see with her own eyes that her aca kid was doing okay.

"At the moment the doctors are checking her so you have to wait. I'll go to her and when they're ready I will come and get you" Benji promised.

"Benji wait! What are their names?" Fat Amy asked before he left to check on his wife.


	36. Chapter 36

" _Benji wait! What are their names?"_

"When we found out that Emily was pregnant again, we decided that this time we didn't want to know the sex of the baby. This time we wanted to go for a family name. Katherine for a girl, iafter Emily's mom. Abraham for a boy, after my dad" Benji answered Fat Amy's question.

"However, the circumstances the twins were born under made us change our mind. Since they were born in the presence of all their aunts, we wanted to honour you. I mean you are all family. We named our son Mitchell Lyric Abraham and our daughter Melody Rhythm Katherine" he said now softly.

When Beca realised that her aca child had named her son directly after her, a tear escaped her eye. She knew she didn't deserved it to be honoured like that and the gesture touched her immensely.

An hour later, they finally were allowed to see their Bella sister. Since there were so many of them, they had to go in two by two. Naturally, Beca and Chloe were the first one's to see their aca child.

"Congratulations mama, I'm so proud of you" Chloe said as she hugged Legacy.

Still emotional about the fact that her aca grandson was named after her, Beca just smiled at Legacy.

"You did a great job dude" she simply said.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Chloe asked the new mother.

"Tired and sore. But extremely happy and relieved that everything went wel. I still can't believe there was two. Or that I'm now a mother of five." the youngest Bella replied honestly.

"I can imagine that" Beca said.

"Can I ask you something?" Legacy asked suddenly nervous.

"Of course sweetie. You can ask us anything" the redhead answered immediately.

" I know that a lot happened the past couple of months and I know we still have a lot ahead of us before things are back to normal, but you're both still my aca moms. Nothing of what happened in the past has changed that. So would you both want to be the godmothers of my son?" she asked softly.

Surprised of the question, the redhead and the tiny brunette shared a look. At that moment they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. Legacy had been right when she said that there was still a lot ahead of them. They both knew that they wanted to do everything to bring back to normal.

"Of course we want that!" the redhead said excited.

"We're going to be the best godmothers ever dude!" Beca said with a smirk.

Just before they left the room, Legacy asked them if they want to sent Ashley and Stacie in next.

After Stacie and Ashley had said their congratulations to the new mother, the legacy Bella told them that she had something to say to them.

"Stacie, first of all I want to thank you so much for bringing my babies safe into this world. I don't know how I would've done it without your help."

"It's okay Legacy. I'm glad I could help and that everything went so well" the leggy brunette said.

"Ashley, Stacie, you two were the first two that held my babies when they entered this world, that's why I wanted to ask if you wanted to be Melody's godmothers?"

Surprised because they totally hadn't expected to be asked to be godmothers, the two brunettes look at the new mother.

"Em, are you sure?" Stacie asked.

"I'm aca sure. Benji and I discussed it and we both want it" Legacy assured them.

With a a big smile on their faces, the two brunettes accepted their new roles as godmothers.

When the rest of the Bellas had said their congratulations to the new mother, they left to give the new parents some well deserved rest.

They knew the house would be a chaos with Donald and Bumper in charge of all the kids. Fat Amy had called them from the hospital to fill them in of all the events that had occurred while they were sleeping.

They had promised Legacy and Benji that they would tell their other children that they had now a little brother and sister. Later that day they would bring them to the hospital to meet them and for some family time.


	37. Chapter 37

"So how does that godmother thing works?"

It's been a month since the twins birth and Beca and Chloe were shopping for their godson. Apparently there was some sort of party to welcome the two babies into their family.

Beca who didn't have any experience about being a godmother didn't understand it at all. Yeah, she had accepted her role as godmother instantly but she later realised that she hadn't a clue about what it actually meant to be a godmother.

"Well, besides the right to spoil your godchild rotten, you generally promise to be there when he needs you. Like if they have some issues they don't want to discuss with their parents. And of course, if something happens to the parents you're most likely the first person on the list to care for the child" Chloe explained.

"Wait what? I'm not even capable of keeping my plants alive, let alone a kid" Beca said.

"That's why a child has at least two godparents silly" Chloe responded with a bright smile.

"Oh okay."

"What are we supposed to get him anyway?" Beca wanted to know.

She didn't understand the whole welcome in the family party. They were babies. It wasn't like they already had a concept of life or something.

"Just something that reflects us as godmothers. Something with a meaning that will last the rest of his life" Chloe answered.

"The kid has literally my name. Isn't that lasting enough?" Beca asked.

She didn't like shopping at all but somehow Chloe had convinced her to go together and buy something for Mitchell. They had been going in and out of stores for almost two hours now and she was getting grumpy.

"Can't we just buy him a cute outfit or something and get over with this? I'm getting hungry" Beca whined.

"What part of a lasting gift didn't you understand?" the redhead asked slightly impatient.

They were walking through the music store when suddenly something caught Beca's eyes. Behind glass there was a collection of various music boxes. From the classic ones with a ballerina on top to silver ones that were absolutely beautiful. But there was one specific music box that Beca was interested in. It was a simple one that didn't shine as much as the silver ones, but was beautiful nonetheless. When she asked a store assistant if she could look at it closely, he grabbed it for her. She asked what it was made of. When the store assistant told her it was made of titanium and that it played the song Titanium when you wind it. Right then she knew that it would be the perfect gift for baby Mitchell.

"Chlo, come here. I just found the perfect gift" she yelled.

"Becs, it's perfect. Do you think we can get it engrave?" the redhead exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm sure it's possible" Beca reacted.

When they purchased the music box, they were finally going to get some food.

After spending five unnecessary hours in the mall, Beca was relieved to finally having some food in her system. All they had to do now, was waiting until the engraving of the music box was ready.

Beca was happy to be finally in the comfort of her own home after an overwhelming day. She loved to spend time with Chloe, but being around so many people the whole day had worned her out both physically and emotionally. Apparently, being alone for ten years did that. Plus she's never been someone to be very sociable.

Sitting at her desk in het music studio, she couldn't help but to think about the redhead. Since the birth of Legacy's twins, they had grown closer but they didn't want to rush things.

Deep down inside she knew she was ready for the next step. She couldn't stop imagining living together with Chloe in her house or any house really. She didn't care where she lived as long as it was together with her favourite redhead. But she knew Chloe still wasn't ready for the next step. Too many things still needed to be fixed before she was ready.

One of those things were her explanation as why she collapsed on national television. Chloe had asked her a few times about it, but every time she had answered she wasn't ready to talk about it. And she really wasn't. She knew that sooner or later she had to tell Chloe the reason. As long as she didn't, there was no point in living together the redhead had told her. She knew Chloe was right but at the same time Beca knew that the redhead hadn't told her everything herself. It was a long road they had to take but Beca knew it was a road well worth taking.

All those thoughts flooded through her mind after today and she was exhausted. Sighing because of all the things she still had to fix, she fell asleep behind her desk.

Two hours later she woke up because her phone wouldn't stop ringing. When she recognised the incoming number, her heart nearly stopped. She wasn't in the mood to deal with the caller but she knew that it wouldn't be wise to ignore the call.

"What is it this time?" she asked timidly as she answered the call.


	38. Chapter 38

Jesse Swanson was a lot of things but a quitter wasn't one of those things.

The visit of the woman in his office had scared the shit out of him but the more he had thought about it, the more he was convinced that it hadn't actually happened. He had been tired that day and it had probably been his imagination that had been playing with him. And that his car had been burnt was probably just a coincidence.

Of course, he was still bothered with the whole Beca Mitchell thing. Since she had switched to another lawyer, things didn't look so good for him. But it always could've been worse.

He had been smart enough to settle things outside court and he had to apologise in public. He had apologised and it had cost him a few clients but not enough that it destroyed his company or credibility.

He wasn't remorseful and still had luck on his side. He still wanted to destroy Beca and his plans were still working. In fact, he had just hung up the phone with that journalist. The same one that made her run out of that studio.

Apparently, that journalist knew a lot of Beca's past, and Jesse was willing to pay her as much as she wanted. In his eyes, destroying Beca hadn't a price.

He could clearly picture the day that Beca would come to him. Begging him for to take over her business for a cheap price. If he played this right, she even would beg him to give her another chance. She would beg him to take her out on a date.

He wouldn't rest until she was finally his. She was his fairytale ending. He had known that the first time he ever saw her. She was supposed to be his wife. The mother of his future children and he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

He had seen the few pictures of her that had graced the magazines since she had took her break from the spotlights. On most of the pictures she was surrounded by a group of women. And always with that redhead.

He had been told that the group of women she always was seen with, were her friends from college. They called themselves the Ballets or something like that. He didn't really care about it anyway. It was that redhead that concerned him.

He was been told that the redhead and Beca were ex lovers. And that they had reconciled. That was the problem. So he had put that journalist to work. Her only job was to make sure that Beca and that redhead didn't spent so many times together.

When he and Beca were married none of her old friends would be fitting in her life anyway. She would have him and that should be enough. He would make sure that she would get pregnant soon. That way she would totally focus on him and their child. He had already decided they should have six children. That would be enough to carry on their business when they were to old to do that.

He really shouldn't be thinking so far ahead of his plans but he couldn't help it. Now that things were finally looking goo for him, he deserved it.


	39. Chapter 39

She knew she needed to talk about the things that happened to her. If it was only about her she would keep her mouth shut. But now her beloved Bellas were threatened. In a way she couldn't protect them from getting hurt. Even if she would hire all the security on earth. Thinking about what could happen to her friends angered her. They hadn't done anything to deserve this. She hadn't done anything to deserve this. But she figured it was the price she had to pay for being famous.

Before she called her group of girls, she first needed to call Chloe. If she really wanted this relationship to last, she needed to be open and honest with the redhead. Tell her from what happened during that interview. Why she collapsed and fled.

 _***Flashback***_

" _So you're famous now. How long do you think it will last if your fans knew what kind of bitch you are?" the woman whispered softly._

" _Excuse me?" she had whispered back._

" _Do you ever think about them? You're so called aca child? Our that beautiful redhead you claimed to love so much? Or should I reveal to the public how poor you treated me while in college? I still have the video where you made fun of me. If I showed that to your so called fans, you would be out of work in no time" the woman whispered again._

 _Hearing those words, she looked the woman in the face. Suddenly she recognised her. One look in those eyes and she knew that it wasn't a threat. This woman had years of pure hate in her and wouldn't hesitate to destroy her career right now in front of millions of people._

 _The woman smiled dangerously as if she knew that the roles were reversed now._

" _If you know what's good for you, you run out now and don't come back. If you don't, all I have to do is show a certain video and ask a few questions" the woman whispered with a sweet smile._

 _Because she knew that despite she hadn't spoke to her friends in years, she couldn't put them through this. A single tear escaped her eye as she stood up and ran out of the television studio._

 _***End of flashback***_

Chloe Beale had never felt so powerless. Well except maybe during Legacy's sickness, but that was another kind of helplessness.

She was busy showing a big clients some houses, therefore her phone was on silent. When she was finally ready with that client she grabbed her phone.

Her heart immediately stopped when she noticed the thirty-five missed calls from Beca. Not only she had missed calls but also a few texts where the short brunette begged her to call her.

When she had called the music producer back, her heart broke. Never had she heard Beca's voice so sad and broken. The brunette refused to tell her what was going on, she had only asked to stop by when she could.

She called Beca back and told her that she needed to finalise some things and when she was done with that, she would come.

She asked Aubrey to close up today and stepped in her car. She put her play list on and was on her way.

Her thoughts were with Beca and she wondered what happened that made the love of her life so upset and broken. All she wanted was to hold the brunette and assure her that whatever that was going on, it would be okay.

She was so focused to be with Beca, that she never noticed that there was a car that followed her.

When her car was hit from behind, her last thoughts were about Beca.


	40. Chapter 40

Beca was getting worried. Chloe should've been at her house at least forty minutes ago. The redhead had called her that she was on her way but she still wasn't there. It was unusual for the redhead to be late. Chloe was impulsive and spontaneous, but she was never late.

Beca had called her multiple times but the redheads phone immediately went straight to voicemail. Something wasn't right, that much she knew. She was about to call Aubrey or Stacie, to ask if they knew where Chloe was.

Before she could call them a whirlwind of things happened. She heard her front door opening and thought that it was Chloe who finally had showed up.

To her surprise it was Lilly who had used her key to get in. Before she could ask why the quiet Bella was at her house, her phone started to ring. Not bothering to check who it was, she answered.

Her blood turned cold when she realised it was Aubrey calling her to tell her that Stacie had been involved in an accident and that she was in the hospital. Luckily it wasn't to serious, a few broken bones and promised Aubrey she would come to the hospital. She was about to hang up, when she remembered that she was about to ask the blonde if she had seen Chloe. When the blonde said that she hadn't, her worries increased.

She turned to Lilly and asked her why she was here. With a serious expression on her face, the Asian woman told her that she had been on her way home, when she had witnessed Jessica and Ashley being involved in a car accident. She had been watching from a distance to make sure that they weren't seriously injured.

The thing that send shivers down Beca's spine, was how the usually quiet woman explained that she thought it wasn't an accident. She had seen another car following them and waiting for the best moment to hit them.

Now, Beca knew for sure that something was terribly wrong. Three of her friends were involved in an accident at almost the same time. And Chloe was missing at almost the same time. It felt like a warning and she knew exactly who was behind this.

She realised that this was the moment to speak up and start telling the truth. If something terrible had happened to Chloe it was her fault. Something she knew she couldn't forgive herself ever.

Instead of going to the hospital, she started to tell everything. From the moment she was threatened at that television studio until the last phone call she had received. Maybe Lilly wasn't the best choice to confide in but she really didn't have a choice. Someone besides her needed to know what was going on. If something would happen to her, there needed to be someone who knew what was going on.

Silently, her old friend listened to what she had to say. Beca was positive that the other woman didn't blink her eyes once when she told her story. When she finished her story, the quiet Bella concluded that she was right. This was a warning directed to Beca. Only Lilly didn't think that their old college enemy was behind this. She never had been that smart to think of such a plan. Lilly believed somebody else was behind this all. Beca rolled her eyes at Lilly's conclusion. The woman had always been a huge fan of conspiracy theories.

If she only had known that moment that her friends conclusion wasn't far from the truth.

 _Jesse Swanson ended his last call of the evening with a huge smile on his face._

 _His masterplan was beginning to work. A simultaneous attack on the Bellas should be enough to shake Beca awake. If she realised that her friends lives were in danger, she would understand that she could better give in to what was been asking from her._

 _Of course, he made sure that none of the attacks were deadly. This was only a warning. But he wasn't afraid to take it a step further if it would be necessary._

 _For now it was enough. Soon the Bellas would blame Beca for all the bad things that happened to them. They would drop her as their friend and then she would be alone again._

 _That's when he would step in. He would be there for her. Be a listening ear and a friend who comforted her when she would need a friend the most. Then he would slowly poisoning her thoughts about her so called friends, until she realised she was better off without them._

 _And when she was at her most vulnerable, he would use the Swanson charm and make he his wife. He would get the fairytale ending he always had envisioned he would have._

 _With a deep satisfaction of today's events, he went to bed. With a smile on his face, he fell asleep._


	41. Chapter 41

_The smell of gasoline brought her back to reality. She didn't know where she was. She didn't know what had happened when she opened her eyes._

 _She did know that she had to get out of here. That she had to get out of here fast._

 _She tried to free herself from her seat belt, but the sharp pain that shot through her body prevented her from doing so. Something was wrong with her right arm, and somehow she couldn't move her legs. She could see the cut in her head when she looked in the mirror._

 _What on earth had happened went through her head when everything suddenly went black._

Beca tried to call Chloe again numerous times on her way to the hospital. Chloe's phone was off and Beca's worries grew more and more.

On her way to Stacie, she ran into Jessica and Ashley. They had gone to the hospital to check themselves out to make sure they were alright. Luckily they only had some cuts and bruises.

When Beca informed them about what happened to Stacie, the pair was shocked. They decided to go along with Beca. Stacie was their friend too, and the want to make sure that she was alright.

When Stacie was talking to Jessica and Ashley, Beca pulled Aubrey aside. She told her what Lilly seen.

"Aubrey have you heard something from Chloe the past hour?" Beca asked.

"No I haven't. Why?" the blonde asked concerned.

"She was on her way to my place. When she still wasn't there after some time, I tried to call her. First it went to voicemail, but now her phone is off" Beca explained.

With the recent events in mind, Aubrey was worried to. Something was wrong. She knew her best friend well. A little too well in Chloe's case, and the redhead was never late. And Chloe would certainly never go anywhere else when she had an appointment with someone. If she would do something like that, she would call.

"It almost looks like this was planned. First Jessica and Ashley. Then Stacie. And now Chloe has disappeared" Aubrey said.

"I think this is a warning specially for me" Beca said.

"What do you mean? Like some sort of deranged fan that tried to get your attention?" Aubrey asked.

Even though Aubrey and she weren't exactly best friends, Beca realised that this wasn't the moment to keep things to herself. Her friends were getting hurt and it was all because of her.

So she told Aubrey everything she had told Lilly. What had happened in that TV studio. The threatenings.

Hearin what had happened outraged Aubrey. But to Beca's surprise, Aubrey's anger wasn't directed to her.

"I know we're not exactly friends, but none of this is your fault" Aubrey assured her.

"Thank you Aubrey, I really appreciate your words" Beca said feeling slightly better.

"I take Stacie home and then we go looking for Chloe" Aubrey said.

Fifteen minutes later, Stacie was released from the hospital. Beca followed the two women to their house. They had decided to go look together for the redhead.

They tried to reconstuct the way Chloe would have driven to go to Beca's place. Their heart stopped when they recognised what was left of Chloe's burned out car.


	42. Chapter 42

_For the first time in a long period, he finally could work on his favourite project. Repair the bike that once had belonged to his father._

 _Since he could remember, he had always helped his father with fixing things around the house. When he got older he seemed to have a way with cars and motorcycles. Somehow he always seemed to find the problem and knew exactly how to fix it._

 _Only God knew how much he wanted to repair the old bike. It was the only thing that was left of the happy life they once lived. The only thing that he could pass on to his little brother._

 _Life wasn't easy at the moment, but he did his best to take care of his little brother. Caleb was the only person he had left in this world._

 _Sometimes he worried if he did the right things. It wasn't easy for a twenty-two year old to take care of a nine year old boy. But at the other hand, he wouldn't change it for the world. His younger brother was the only one that reminded him of the happy careless and free life they had once had._

" _Wrench! Please come help me!"_

 _The fear in his younger brothers voice made him stop what he was doing. His brother wasn't the type who was easily scared. But now he sounded terrified._

" _Wrench!"_

" _Stop yelling. I'm coming okay!" he shouted back._

" _Take your toolbox with you" his brother said in a much calmer voice._

 _Not even questioning his brothers strange request, he grabbed his toolbox on his way._

" _What's the rush?" he asked as soon as he stood before his brother._

" _Something happened. I saw how someone hit another car and drove away afterwards" the young boy said._

" _Caleb, are you sure? That's a pretty heavy accusation" Wrench said._

" _I swear it's the truth. Just come with me. I think there's a woman in that car. You need to get her out" Caleb said in a begging voice._

 _With a sigh he followed his nine year old brother. He didn't want to get involved with things that could bring problems. He's had his fair share of problems already._

 _When he saw the wreck that once had been a car, his heart sanked in his shoes. Flashbacks of a long time ago instantly came back._

 _If his brother had been right that a woman was still in that car, he had to work fast to get her out of it. It wouldn't be long before it could explode._

 _True to the nickname his father gave him long time ago, he start working as fast and as carefully as he could to save the woman._

Scared of what they might find, the two women rushed to what was left of Chloe's car. They knew it was the redheads car because they recognised the ladybug lying on the road, the ladybug that once had been hanging on the mirror. For the rest the car was unrecognizable.

The rushed to what used to be the drivers side of the car. Prepared for the worst, they looked inside, but there was no sign of the redhead.

Panic took over and Beca sanked to the ground. This was all her fault. Because of her, the woman she loved was involved in a car accident. Because of her the redhead has now disappeared.

"I'm so sorry Chlo" she whispered through her tears.

Unlike Beca, Aubrey didn't panic. Her military background had taught her to keep her mind clear in situations like this.

Something wasn't right. Chloe's car was a wreck. There was no way that the redhead could get out of there by herself. Someone must've helped her. Either the person who did this to her got her out to finish the job or someone else must have been there before them. She prayed it had been the last option.

She looked around to find a clue about what had happened. There wasn't anything. It seemed like someone had done his best to cover up anything that had happened here.

Defeated the blond walked back to the short brunette. She wasn't exactly on good terms with Beca but she knew how much the woman loved Chloe. She didn't understand her best friends choice for loving the brunette, but she respected the fact they had a history together long before she came into the redheads life.

To her own surprise she wrapped her arms around the short woman and tried to comfort her.

"Beca, we will find her. If I have to, I'll call some of my old army buddies. But I'll promise you I will find her and bring her back."

With heavy hearts they went back to the car. Now they had the difficult task to tell the rest of the Bellas the bad news.

If they had looked back one last time, they would've seen a boy. A boy who could give them some answers. But they didn't look back.

But someone else was there. Someone who did see the boy. Someone who wasn't afraid to get answers.


	43. Chapter 43

_Caleb had been right. There was somebody trapped in the car. A lady just as Caleb had been saying._

 _Wrench didn't like it at all. Even though her face was covered in blood, he could see that it was a beautiful lady. Not at all like the women that walked around in his neighbourhood. This lady looked classy. Exactly the lady that would cause problems. Problems we're he might lose his younger brother._

 _He wasn't a hero but he couldn't leave her there. He smelled gasoline and he knew that he didn't have much time. The lady was unconscious and didn't respond at all. As fast as he could, he worked with his tools to get her out. Just in time he got her out of the car._

 _He didn't know what to do next. Calling the cops wasn't an option but leaving her there wasn't either. He yelled for his brother. Caleb needed to carry his toolbox while he would carry the lady to their house._

 _While he was doing everything he could to help the lady, he sent his brother out. Caleb didn't need to see this. To give his younger brother the feeling that he was important, he sent him out to look for anything suspicious._

Lilly didn't know why she had followed Aubrey and Beca. It was just a strong feeling inside of her that she couldn't ignore.

From a distance she saw how the two women found the redheads wrecked car. She could hear them yelling Chloe's name.

If she had a heart, it would've been broken at the sight of seeing her former captain sitting on the street.

Every normal person who saw their friends in pain would do anything to comfort them. But Lilly wasn't a normal person. Something inside her told her to stay out of sight and wait. What she was waiting for exactly, she didn't know. Still the feeling was so strong that she just had to listen to it.

It was when the two women left, that she saw him. A little boy was hiding in the bushes, looking at leaving car. He couldn't be much older than ten. Lilly thought it was strange that a young boy was outside by himself at this time.

Quietly, she left her car and walked in the boys direction keeping enough distance to not be noticed.

She kept following the little boy that acted suspiciously. For some reason he kept looking over his shoulders as if he was afraid that someone was following him.

For a moment she lost him out of het sight. She stopped for a moment to listen. The soft sound of the boys footsteps guided her to the right direction.

She abruptly stopped when she saw him entering a house. Instead of knocking on the door, she walked around the house to see if she could discover Chloe somewhere.

Through one of the windows she could see the little boy and an older boy. The older boy was clearly busy, but she couldn't see with what. She kept looking through the window in hope to catch a glimpse of what was going on in there.

After what seemed an eternity, the older boy stood up from what he was doing and walked away.

At that moment a moonbeam shone in the room. In the moonlight, Lilly immediately recognised the red hair.

She couldn't see much, but she was certain that her friend was somehow injured. She didn't seem to move. That was something she had to deal with later. The most important thing was that Chloe was there. And she wasn't planning on leaving without her friend.

When she had seen enough, she quietly went back to her car. If she was going to take Chloe home, she would be needing her car.

She started her car and drove back to the house. She parked her car out of sight and killed the engine.

Before she got out she made sure she looked perfect for a dramatic effect. When she was satisfied she stepped out of her car.

"Let the fun begin" she whispered quietly to herself.

 _"How is she?" Caleb asked his brother as soon as he came in the house._

 _"She's alright I think. She had a pretty bad head wound but I stitched it. Now we have to wait till she wakes up" he answered._

 _"She's very pretty. Someone sure would miss her" Caleb said._

 _"She sure is and I bet you're right" Wrench replied._

 _The two brothers ate a simple meal before they returned to the unknown lady that was still out._

 _"Are you sure nobody saw you?" Wrench asked suddenly._

 _"I told you, I only saw a car driving away with two women in it. They didn't see me and I only saw their taillights" he said._

 _Caleb felt slightly guilty for not telling his brother the whole truth but he knew his brother was a bit paranoid. So, he didn't tell him that he had heard the two women yelling. Or that one of them had broken down in the middle of the street. What Wrench didn't know wouldn't hurt him he figured._

 _A knock on the door interrupted their peaceful evening. It was a knock that would change their complete lives._


	44. Chapter 44

_"I thought nobody followed you" Wrench whispered to his younger brother._

 _"Nobody followed me, I swear" Caleb assured his older brother._

 _Knowing that in this neighborhood, you better open the door when someone knocked on your door, he got up to open it. He just got to the door when there was a knock for the second time. He put his hand on the doorknob to open it, but wasn't prepared for what he was about to see._

 _As he opened the door, a blood curling scream escaped from his mouth. A dark hooded figure with big eyes stared at him. Unable to move he stood there frozen, feeling like all the life was being drained out of him._

"What do you mean with Chloe is kinda missing?" Fat Amy wanted to know.

After their failed attempt to bring Chloe home they texted the Bellas to meet for an emergency meeting.

With the exception of Chloe and Lilly, they had gathered in Legacy's house. They were all talking at the same time after Aubrey had told them that Chloe was kinda missing.

Seeing her friends like this was to much for Beca. If she hadn't come back, this shit wouldn't have happy. Then her friends wouldn't have to deal with all of this.

"It's all my fault" Beca said suddenly.

Her friends suddenly stopped talking when they heard her words.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to give us an explanation?"

Various questions were shot at the tiny brunette after her statement.

"You guys, do you remember Baloney Barb?" she asked her friends.

With the exception of Aubrey, they all nodded.

"Yeah, I remember her" Stacie said.

Wasn't she that weird girl with boobs that looked like baloney? She auditioned for the Bellas like three years in a row. Only to be finally accepted by the BU Harmonics?" Ashley asked.

"Yes, that's the one I was talking about" Beca said softly.

Upon hearing this information, Aubrey frowned.

"I don't know to what kind of college you went, but it sounds really weird what you guys say" the blonde said.

Ignoring the blondes statement, Beca got further with her story.

"I assume you all saw my interview gone wrong on television?" she asked them.

They all confirmed they had seen it.

"I never told anyone, and I guess you never noticed it, but that talkshow host was someone we all know" Beca said.

Stacie was the first one that put two and two together.

"That was Baloney Barb!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Wow, she cleaned up nice. I would never have guessed that was her" Cynthia Rose said.

"I didn't know either. It was just before the interview that she made herself known to me. Apparently she changed her name and did some plastic surgery."

"Anyway, before we even started, she asked me if I slept peaceful at night. At first I didn't understand it. But then she made a reference to you guys and the fountain incident. And promised to ruin my interview, if I went through with it. That's why I ran away" Beca ended her story.

"I always hated that bitch. Maybe we should sent Lilly after her" Fat Amy suggested.

"Excuse me, but what is the fountain incident?" Aubrey wanted to know.

"Well, uhm. It's really nothing. It's something that we vowed to never talk about ever again" Jessica said, not looking at the other blonde.

"I'll tell you later" Stacie promised her wife.

"I still don't understand how it's your fault that Chloe is missing. I mean, the fountain incident happened years ago. It was bad. But I don't believe that Baloney Barb waited so long to get revenge. And she isn't that smart" Ashley said.

"I agree with Jessica" Fat Amy said.

Not even bothering to correct her, Ashley kept quiet.

"And there is that Jesse Swanson thing. Maybe it's him and not Barb. As far as we know, those two don't know each other" Legacy said.

"I've been thinking about that. Something just

doesn't feel right. Baloney Barb and Jesse Swanson. The things that happened. It's to much to be just coincidence. But I just feel that the things that happen right now, have something to do with me. Like something from my past caught up with me and trying to punish me" Beca admitted.

"I think we have some investigation to do. Maybe it's an idea to talk with some of our old college friends. I think I stil have Mary Elise's number. She always was good friends with Baloney Barb. Maybe she can tell us more. I'll call her tomorrow", Flo said.

"I think that's an excellent idea. But for now, I think it's time to discuss how we can find Chloe" Aubrey said.

"Maybe we should call the cops, and report her missing. And tell them that we found her burned out car" Beca finally said.

Before they could pick up a phone to call the cops, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Did you expect anyone?" Stacie asked Legacy.

"No, Benji took the older kids out, and they aren't coming home until tomorrow. And he would use his key" she answered.

With the recent things that happened, they didn't want to take any risks.

"I'll go and see who's there" Aubrey said as she stood up.

Carefully the blonde walked toward the door, positioning herself in a way that nobody could grab her when she opened the door.

A loud what the fuck escaped her mouth when she saw who stood on Legacy's porch.


	45. Chapter 45

"Bree, everything okay?" she heard her wife calling from inside.

"Yeah, don't worry, everything is okay. Just some punks" she answered.

Aubrey turned back to the uninvited stranger that stood before her.

"What the hell are you doing here? They're not supposed to see us together. This was not part of the deal" she said much quieter now.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be here, but there's a problem" the other woman said quietly.

"Yeah, you being here is a serious problem" Aubrey responded angry.

"No, we really don't know where Chloe is. I mean the car crash was planned. But then things spiraled out of control quickly. We lost her eventually" the woman said quietly and defeated.

"I suggest you keep looking for her. If something bad happens to her, I'll keep you personally responsible for that" Aubrey responded coldly.

"I personally bring her back. I promise. And by the way, sorry for hurting your wife. I know it wasn't part of the plan, it was just a opportunity we couldn't pass" the woman said.

"Yeah, about that, it actually turned out to be fine. She only has minor injuries, and it helped. Beca, is almost breaking, so I'll forgive you. Sometimes you have to sacrifice someone you love to achieve your goals, like my father always says" the blonde responded.

"Now you have to go, we meet later. Same time and same place as usual" the blonde said.

"What was that all about?" Stacie wanted to know when her wife had returned.

"Nothing important. Some neighborhood kids that were looking for trouble. I had a good talk with them and threatened to go to their parents. They apologized, so it's fine now" the blonde said casually.

Stacie and the rest of the Bellas didn't question her explanation, and Aubrey was relieved. She just thanked the lord that Lilly wasn't around.

After the door incident, the Bellas went back to their original topic. After talking for about an hour or two, they all left and went their separate ways.

 _Meanwhile at the other side of town_

Lilly had been interrogating the two young boys for hours now. She kept asking questions about what had happened. And about what they had to do with it. She had asked each question in different ways to see if their answers changed. But throughout the hours, the answers stayed the same.

Lilly was convinced the boys spoke the truth. They had nothing to do with the car crash or what had happened to the other Bellas. What had convinced her the most, was that both boys had never even heard of Beca. They were just two young boys, that had been at the wrong time on the wrong place.

Somehow the boys reminded her of her own son. She quickly discovered that they were on their own and she felt her maternal instinct kick in. She ordered some food for them and watched them eat.

Then suddenly it clicked.

She thought about this whole situation. She knew who was responsible for this. She only needed to prove it.

After checking on Chloe for the umpteenth time, she made a decision. Chloe was still unconscious, and it didn't seem like she was going to regain her consciousness anytime soon.

She took Wrench apart and asked him to look after her friend. Under the condition of not telling anyone about it. He promised her he would keep Chloe safe. He made his younger brother making the same promis.

She left some cash for the boys to cover for expenses and disappeared in the night.

 _Aubrey couldn't sleep that night. She felt guilty about what happened to her friends. She really cared about them, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurting them. She had prayed for the safety of her best friend. She hoped her redheaded friend was okay and came back soon._

 _She also felt very good about her plan. From the moment she heard about Beca years ago, she had instantly hated her. The Bellas were all so sweet, and she couldn't understand why someone could hurt their friends so much. Even though Beca had done something good. Like taking care of Stacie when she was kicked out by her parents for being gay._

 _But still, she had caused her friends so much pain for all those years. She needed to be punished for that. In Aubrey's opinion you couldn't hurt people without receiving punishment for it._

 _Years ago she started to make a plan to hurt the brunette as much as she had hurted her friends. After all those years she had perfected her plan. It took time, but her luck finally came when she had tracked down Barb. That she came in contact with Jesse Swanson was pure luck. And Beca finding Chloe again was coincidence. A coincidence that came in handy._

 _Now, with the latest screw ups, she seriously needed to do some damage control. Only she didn't know exactly how. Her first priority was to find Chloe. If she had her friend back, she could workout a plan._

 _If she would only knew where her friend was._


	46. Chapter 46

_6 years ago_

 _"Bree, are you ready to meet the Bellas?" Chloe my new boss asked me._

 _I could feel my anxiety skyrocketing and I needed to throw up for the sixth time in the past fifteen minutes._

 _"Not really" I answered as I headed to the bathroom._

 _After cleaning myself up, I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I looked like a wreck. Not at all like the major I used to be. Disgusted I looked at myself._

 _"Stupid anxiety" I whispered to myself._

 _Once I had been the youngest female major in the US military. Now, I was a shadow of that person._

 _"Bree, come out of the bathroom. We have to go" Chloe yelled._

 _"Bellas, this is my new coworker, Aubrey" Chloe said enthusiastically as we arrived at the restaurant._

 _"Hello, I'm Aubrey Posen" I said awkwardly._

 _One by one the Bellas introduced themselves. I calmed down a little bit as the girls seemed all nice. Although two of them sticked out. At least Chloe had warned me beforehand so I had an idea about what to expect._

 _The meal was going great until now. I hadn't said something embarrassing, and I hadn't gotten the urge to vomit yet._

 _Somehow, it seemed to click between me and the Bellas and I was relieved. I knew how important they were to Chloe, and I wanted it to be perfect. I didn't know Chloe long but we became good friends very quickly. I didn't want to disappoint her. If I and her friends could get along, she would be so happy._

 _"I wish Beca was here."_

 _I didn't know who said it, but the tone that was used got me out of my thoughts._

 _"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that" Emily said with a sad smile._

 _"No, it's okay. We all wished that" Chloe said softly._

 _Confused I looked at the Bellas. Each of them, suddenly had a sad expression._

 _"Who is Beca?" I heard myself asking._

 _The Bellas al looked down except for Stacie._

 _"Have you ever heard of that famous music producer, Beca Mitchell?" she asked me._

 _I remember vaguely reading something about her in some magazine, so I nodded._

 _"She was one of us. We studied together at Barden University, and she was a Bella. With her unique musical ability, she became our captain. Under her leadership, we became the first American a capella team that won the world championship. The day we graduated she left without saying goodbye to any of us. Not even Chloe, who was her girlfriend at the time. No one of us have ever heard anything from her ever since" Stacie said._

 _"I'm sorry" was all I could say._

 _"It's okay, it's not your fault" Chloe said softly._

 _Luckily the mood lifted quickly after some weird comment from Fat Amy. I still needed to force myself to actually call her that._

 _Later that evening, I couldn't stop thinking about what Stacie told. It broke my heart when I saw Chloe so sad. The Chloe I knew was bubbly and always in a good mood. She had looked like a kicked puppy. All of the them had looked so sad. Emily had looked like she was going to burst out in tears, and even Fat Amy had been quiet._

 _Since I couldn't sleep, I decided to do some research. I wanted to know who this Beca Mitchell was. I googled her name and quickly some articles came up. They mostly were about her career. Not much of her personal life. A few articles about her time as a Bella._

 _I made a mental note to myself, to look further into her personal life. I haven't found much about her yet, but I couldn't help but to hate her. The look on my friends face was burned in my memory. I needed to do something to give them some justice. No matter what, you don't treat your friends like that._

 _From that moment, I started to actively researching everything about Beca Mitchell. I wanted to know everything about her. From any minor things like her favorite food to major things like how she did in her business._

 _What I didn't know then was that the Bellas would going to have an active role in my life. Nor didn't I knew back then that I would end up marrying one. But even my marriage didn't stop me from researching my target. I just had to do it in secrecy. One day I would succeed in bringing Beca Mitchell down. I just didn't know that it would take me six years to finally get to that point. But I didn't care. All I wanted was to get revenge for my friends. They all suffered from Beca's decisions. And it was my job to fix it._


End file.
